Podcast appearances and mentions of Anthony Richardson

Matt Jones and Drew Franklin add Drew to the list of NFL injuries from this week. What is the future of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? Matt is now a believer in Bo Nix as a top QB that's capable of winning of Super Bowl. The Steelers top the Dolphins, but the real story is Tua's future in Miami. Joe Burrow will start the remaining 3 games despite the Bengals being eliminated from the playoffs. Saturday NFL games begin this week with Eagles/Commanders and Packers/Bears. Matt explains what this game means for Chicago. The Broncos are on the verge of clinching their division and possibly the AFC, we review the scenarios. Which team is most likely to get the top pick in the NFL Draft? Matt wonders which team having a bad season will have a big upset late in the season. Philip Rivers gets another start as the Colts host the 49ers. The Rams visit the Seahawks on Thursday. Matt picks his three best games in NFL Week 16 and we make Survivor and TD Parlay picks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intro – 0:00 Anthony Richardson Thoughts – 5:25 49ers Notes – 18:21 Twitter Questions – 27:40Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/kevin-bowen/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o, and Mike Garafolo answering Throwdown Thursday questions - Do you believe in the Rams and Matthew Stafford or Seahawks and Sam Darnold? How do you expect the Steelers-Lions matchup to go? Then they finish up with Trivia!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o, and Mike Garafolo preview the big-time matchup between the Seahawks-Rams. Then they discuss what’s on the line between the Packers-Bears rematch. Bears WR DJ Moore joins the show and talks about Caleb Williams’ TD pass, and winning football.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00-24:15) – Query & Company opens on a Thursday with Jake Query welcoming producer Eddie Garrison back after three days off by asking how things went with the Big Head Federation. They get into the news that Anthony Richardson’s 21-day practice window has been opened and touch on the likelihood that the Chicago Bears could be moving to northwest Indiana to fulfill their aspirations for a new stadium. (24:15-37:39) – Tony East from Locked On Pacers, Forbes Sports, and Circle City Spin, joins the show to give his perspective on where Pascal Siakam is mentally with the Pacers struggling and him having one of the best seasons of his career. Jake also asks Tony about tonight’s game for the Pacers against the New York Knicks and assesses who could be seeing more minutes the further along in the season we go so the team can get a look at some guys. (37:39-44:10) – The first hour of the show concludes with Jake Query comparing what Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson said today about where Richardson is at in his recovery from his orbital bone fracture. (44:10-1:06:14) – Hour two of Query & Company with Jake Query and producer Eddie Garrison discussing what they heard when Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson spoke on his recovery. They agree as to why each person said things the way they did. Plus, is there a real chance that the Chicago Bears will be coming to Indiana? (1:06:14-1:20:50) – David Woods joins Jake Query on the show to discuss his new book, “Inspiring Women of Indiana Sports” in terms of Caitlin Clark’s impact on the city, if we have ever experienced a golden era of women in Indiana sports, and how the idea came to mind. Jake also asks David about what Cole Hocker is up to nowadays and the (1:20:50-1:26:24) – The second hour of the show concludes with Jake Query adding more information on the reported plane crash involving Greg Biffle, his wife, and both of his children. Jake and Eddie also highlight what was shared today about the health status for key Colts players. (1:26:24-1:50:55) – The final hour of Query & Company starts with Jake Query highlighting some comments made last night by NC State Head Coach Will Wade that have gone viral. He brings in producer Eddie Garrison to voice his opinion on what Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson said earlier today on where the former fourth overall pick is at in his recovery from hi orbital bone fracture. Adam Alexander joins the show to provide an some information on what he knows about the plane crash linked to Greg Biffle in North Carolina today, shares some things that he know about Biffle, and highlights some of his accomplishments in NASCAR. (1:50:55-2:02:34) – The voice of the Indianapolis Colts, Matt Taylor, makes his weekly appearance on the show to preview the upcoming game for the Colts against the San Francisco 49ers, provides an injury update on some of the Colts players that weren’t at practice today, and plays along with some of technical issues. (2:02:34-2:09:12) – Today’s show closes out with JMV joining Jake from Coaches Tavern to preview his show!Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 22:43 – Looking forward to Monday night football between the Colts and 49ers, why Anthony Richardson can't come off IR and play but Phillip Rivers can come out of retirement, what is the importance of a quarterback being able to run Shane Steichen's system and what does it say about the entire situation, morning checkdown 22:44 -- 31:43 Head coach of the Butler Bulldogs, Thad Matta, joins to discuss his teams latest performance against No. 5 UConn and the thrilling win against Providence last Saturday. He also talks about what it's like to play in the Indy Classic. 31:43 -- 41:37 Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files joins to reveal if he's ever had "the Vegas Flu," and what the days of rest can do for the Pacers before they play the Knicks. Plus, Scott breaks down the Team USA camp in Durham and how Caitlin Clark is looking, as well as being able to talk basketball, plus Red Panda will perform at the Colts game Monday night 41:38 — 49:45 — Lucas from the Netherlands who is a Colts fan and covers the team joins us in studio to talk about his travels, why he became a Colts fan, his experience watching the Colts play in Germany the last two years, cities he would like to see the NFL play in EuropeSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 11:40 –The Bears could be moving to Northeast Indiana, the Colts return to practice and the Pacers are back in action tonight against the Knicks. 11:41– 19:45 – Morning Checkdown 19:46–43:13 – Is there worse weather than the slush that currently exists outside, what is it going to take for the Colts to beat the 49ers, how vital are chunk plays, we preview the Colts kicker training camp battle 8 months in advance, how dynamic of a player is Christian McCaffery, Indiana football projected to have one of the most players drafted in 2026, the Pacers play the NBA Cup champion Knicks tonight, what is the Pacers over/under 43:14 – 1:05:58 – Looking forward to Monday night football between the Colts and 49ers, why Anthony Richardson can't come off IR and play but Phillip Rivers can come out of retirement, what is the importance of a quarterback being able to run Shane Steichen's system and what does it say about the entire situation, morning checkdown 1:05:58 - 1:17:02 – Head coach of the Butler Bulldogs, Thad Matta, joins to discuss his teams latest performance against No. 5 UConn and the thrilling win against Providence last Saturday. He also talks about what it's like to play in the Indy Classic. 1:17:58 -1:24:09 – We play audio from former Indiana head coach Tom Allen about how he is perceiving the rise of Hoosier football 1:24:10 – 1:49:25 – Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files joins to reveal if he's ever had "the Vegas Flu," and what the days of rest can do for the Pacers before they play the Knicks. Plus, Scott breaks down the Team USA camp in Durham and how Caitlin Clark is looking, as well as being able to talk basketball, plus Red Panda will perform at the Colts game Monday night. We continue to preview Colts-49ers and continue the countdown of best Indiana sports stories of 2025, morning checkdown. 1:49:26 – 1:58:56 – WIBC's Jason Hammer joins to explain why he's coming to us via phone, he makes his picks for Rams-Seahawks tonight, the Colts 49ers primetime matchup Monday night and the College Football Playoff. 1:58:57 — 2:07:04 — Lucas from the Netherlands who is a Colts fan and covers the team joins us in studio to talk about his travels, why he became a Colts fan, his experience watching the Colts play in Germany the last two years, cities he would like to see the NFL play in Europe, Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel begin with the season of gift giving and deciding love languages. Looking back at Week 15, the Micah Parsons injury could have a huge impact on the rest of the Packers season. How will Patrick Mahomes' injury affect his future? Bobby delivers his NFL Power Rankings and how the Top 5 teams fared last weekend. Who are your Coach of the Year candidates? Bobby notes Jeffery Simmons' house being broken into while on a roadtrip and asks about security. What are the three biggest matchups coming in NFL Week 16? Actor Bill Fagerbakke drops by to talk about the upcoming 'Spongebob Squarepants Movie' coming out this weekend. Bill talks about some of his past characters and the audition process for the jobs. Bill was a college athlete and talks about how the talents transferred from sports to acting. Bill explains how he joined the show and how the voice of has evolved and changed over the years. We wrap up with the best storylines coming down the stretch and the most interesting divisions. Plus, can you definitively say which team will win the AFC or NFC? Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel is part of the NFL Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with the play of the AFC Quarterbacks. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te'o, and Mike Garafolo discuss the surge of young QB's joining the veteran stars this season. What is the Dolphins outlook the rest of the season? Senior Bowl Executive Director Jay Fabianich reveals which NFL Draft prospects you should be watching through Bowl season. Plus, Mike and Kyle go 'Inside the Booth' for their weekly media awards! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with our first look at Rams-Seahawks coming up on Thursday Night Football. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te'o, and Mike Garafolo debate what to expect from the rest of the regular season. Every division is still up for grabs, so how will they play out? Plus, Jason and Devin McCourty drop by the studio with their favorite storylines from the season. Stay tuned for Hour 2 of the GMFB Podcast! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00-20:07 – Fever superstar Caitlin Clark played basketball over the weekend, and the Fever coach Stephanie White joins the show to talk about it! She details the FIBA World Cup training camp, then talks about all things basketball. 20:07-31:13 – Sports Injury Expert Ralph Reiff of ralphreiff.com joins to talk about all of the injury issues going on in sports right now- starting with the season-ending ACL-LCL tear that Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes suffered over the weekend. They dive into what Bernhard Raimman suffered over the weekend and what an elbow injury can do to a player- and talk more about DeForest Buckner’s back injury. 31:13-50:20 – Joel A. Erickson, a Colts beat writer on The IndyStar joins to talk about all things Colts/49ers. What is going on with Bernhard Raimman? Why does Anthony Richardson need all the time in the world to ramp up but 44-year-old Philip Rivers only needs 6 days. Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:00-25:26 – Query & Company gets underway on a Wednesday with the talk of the town right now – why does Philip Rivers need 3 practices to play after 5 years off, but Anthony Richardson needs an incredible amount of time. 25:26-36:28 – Jake and fill-in producer Nathaniel dig through the moving boxes and find the elixir! They use it to translate what exactly Shane Steichen means when he says Anthony Richardson needs more time despite being cleared by doctors to play football. 36:28 -47:32 – Jake closes out the first hour of the show with breaking news. 47:32-1:15:26 – Fever superstar Caitlin Clark played basketball over the weekend, and the Fever coach Stephanie White joins the show to talk about it! She details the FIBA World Cup training camp, then talks about all things basketball. 1:15:26-1:27:57 – Sports Injury Expert Ralph Reiff of ralphreiff.com joins to talk about all of the injury issues going on in sports right now- starting with the season-ending ACL-LCL tear that Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes suffered over the weekend. They dive into what Bernhard Raimman suffered over the weekend and what an elbow injury can do to a player- and talk more about DeForest Buckner’s back injury. 1:27:57-1:33:40 – Jake closes out the second hour of the show talking about who the next QB of the Indiana could be. 1:33:40 -1:59:29 – Joel A. Erickson, a Colts beat writer on The IndyStar joins to talk about all things Colts/49ers. What is going on with Bernhard Raimman? Why does Anthony Richardson need all the time in the world to ramp up but 44-year-old Philip Rivers only needs 6 days. 1:59:29-2:10:18 – Jake goes into more detail on why Shane Steichen’s answer on Anthony Richardson’s health feels like a lie. 2:10:18-1:08:25– Jake and JMV close out the show with their patented cross talk! Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 11:17 – Back at it will a full crew, how was Philip Rivers following his first game in five years, Knicks win the NBA Cup and face the Pacers tomorrow night, Butler falls to UConn 11:18 – 19:43 – Morning Checkdown 19:44 – 41:12 – Elf on the Shelf, Colts and their playoff standings, Kevin talks about Shane Steichen telling Kyle Shannahan and Gus Bradley about signing Philip Rivers, how does he follow up an encore?, Anthony Richardson & DeForest Buckner, the lack of reps for backup QBs 41:13 – 1:06:36 – 60 Minutes and Sports Illustrated reporter Jon Wertheim joins us to discuss his feature on IU football, his conversations with Curt Cignetti and Don Fischer, his impressions of Fernando Mendoza, John Mellencamp’s IU fandom and seats at every game, his piece about the 1976 Hoosiers basketball team, Cignetti vs. Bob Knight, Morning Checkdown 1:06:37 – 1:15:02 – Philp Rivers un-retiring gets spotlighted in Hard Knocks In-Season, can the Colts offense evolve on Monday Night Football 1:15:03 – 1:22:40 – We unveil our 9th biggest stories in Indiana Sports for 2025 1:22:41 – 1:48:30 – Philip Rivers’ ass rejoiner, ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder joins us and discusses not seeing the Rivers avatar yet, what he thought about Rivers’ return, if it goes poorly will they change course and go to Anthony Richardson?, what’s up with Riley Leonard?, the defensive effort on the final drive, optimism for Daniel Jones to be ready by training camp?, chances Anthony Richardson takes a snap next season for the Colts?, Morning Checkdown 1:48:31 – 2:01:58 – Former Colts QB Jeff George joins us and discusses the Christmas Quarterback campaign, his thoughts on Philip Rivers un-retiring, his IU fandom, Fernando Mendoza, more about the goal of his Christmas QB campaign 2:01:59 – 2:06:52 – Wrapping the show with Colts discussion about Philip Rivers and what the Colts do if he struggles, does AR get any runSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 21:32 - Elf on the Shelf, Colts and their playoff standings, Kevin talks about Shane Steichen telling Kyle Shannahan and Gus Bradley about signing Philip Rivers, how does he follow up an encore?, Anthony Richardson & DeForest Buckner, the lack of reps for backup QBs 21:33 – 34:54 – 60 Minutes and Sports Illustrated reporter Jon Wertheim joins us to discuss his feature on IU football, his conversations with Curt Cignetti and Don Fischer, his impressions of Fernando Mendoza, John Mellencamp’s IU fandom and seats at every game, his piece about the 1976 Hoosiers basketball team, Cignetti vs. Bob Knight 34:55 – 42:31 - We unveil our 9th biggest stories in Indiana Sports for 2025 42:32 – 55:00 – ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder joins us and discusses not seeing the Rivers avatar yet, what he thought about Rivers’ return, if it goes poorly will they change course and go to Anthony Richardson?, what’s up with Riley Leonard?, the defensive effort on the final drive, optimism for Daniel Jones to be ready by training camp?, 55:01 – 1:07:53 - Former Colts QB Jeff George joins us and discusses the Christmas Quarterback campaign, his thoughts on Philip Rivers un-retiring, his IU fandom, Fernando Mendoza, more about the goal of his Christmas QB campaignSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shannon Sharpe & Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson react to the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the Miami Dolphins on Monday night football to stay atop of the division, the Kansas City Chiefs released that Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL & LCL in his left knee, and Anthony Richardson has been cleared to play but Phillip Rivers will still remain the starter and much more! Subscribe to Nightcap presented by PrizePicks so you don’t miss out on any new drops! Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/NI... 4:23 - Steelers beat Dolphins22:43 - Chiefs released update on Patrick Mahomes injury39:21 - Colts Anthony Richardson cleared to play but Philip Rivers will start51:05 - Jayden Daniels has been shut down for the remainder of the year (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o, Isaac Rochell, and Willie Colon discussing the AFC Playoff Picture without Patrick Mahomes. Tyrann Mathieu joins the show and talks about life after football, Philip Rivers’ return, Patrick Mahomes’ injury and the Chiefs future,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o, Isaac Rochell, and Willie Colon reacting to the Pittsburgh Steelers dominating win over the Dolphins on MNF. Then they discuss Philip Rivers being named the starter for the Colts matchup vs. 49ers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 11:30 – James is back but Jeff is gone, James recaps his time in Seattle and what he took in from the game and where it went wrong, Philip Rivers gets the Monday Night Football nod 11:31 – 19:40– Morning Checkdown 19:41 – 40:56 – Shane Steichen gets peppered with quarterback questions, Philip Rivers questions, Steichen says the gameplan will be different on Monday night, but how? 40:57 – 1:06:15– Anthony Richardson gets cleared from his eye injury and physical activity, the Seattle crowd lived up the hype, Morning Checkdown 1:06:16 – 1:14:39 – Our Top 10 Sports Stories of Indiana are coming up, biggest takeaways from the IU/60 Minutes segment, Curt Cignetti said he was upset when he first walked into IU because of the condition of the facilities and the lack of confidence, Colts-Seahawks 1:!4:40 – 1:21:59 – Steichen remains bullish that the Colts offense will expand under Rivers on Monday night 1:22:00 – 1:45:40 – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle joins us and discusses the loss to the defensive effort against the Wizards, a busy schedule, back-to-backs, grading good shots vs bad shots, the most important parts of the game of basketball, Pascal Siakam’s mentality and his foundation, Morning Checkdown 1:45:41 – 1:58:46 – Saint Michaels’ AD Simon Cortopassi joins us and discusses watching Philip Rivers watch him play in person, what he thought of how he played and what his team thought, when he met Rivers for the first time 1:58:47 – 2:05:07 – We begin our countdown of the Top 10 Sports Stories in Indiana in 2025, Colts thoughtsSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Jones and Drew Franklin dive into Week 15 with the Bills comeback victory over the Patriots. What does the AFC and NFC Playoff picture look like now? The Chiefs are eliminated from the postseason, but what is the future of the franchise with the injury of Patrick Mahomes? Philip Rivers kept the Colts close against the Seahawks. The Ravens get past the Bengals in the cold. Trevor Lawrence has a career day against the Jets, should Liam Coen be the front runner for Coach of the Year? The Texans stay the course against the Cardinals. The Eagles shut out the Raiders. Matt may be ready to jump on the Bo Nix bandwagon. Micah Parsons injury could change the Packers season. The Bears and Caleb Williams have another impressive outing but have a tough remaining schedule. Will the Browns be looking for a QB again in the offseason? The Saints get past the Panthers. Drew tries to explain what's happening with the Bucs. The Rams had a few injury scares against the Lions. What is the most likely Super Bowl matchup? We wrap up with Matt's preparations for calling the New Orleans Bowl, which will be his first football assignment!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Playoffs lining up and postseason hopes coming to an end: It looked very fun Time for another change Hate this storyline Sickening run A record that matters The 'Not Yet' Game Avoid this city in the playoffs Worst words in travel 10 Takes with Kyle Brandt is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with the Vikings holding off the Cowboys. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te'o, and Willie Colon discuss Philip Rivers return and the Chiefs being eliminated from playoff contention. We update the injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons. Plus, the Bills post another comeback win over the Patriots. Stay tuned for NFL Week 15 Game Balls coming up in Hour 2 of the GMFB Podcast! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Holder from ESPN joins the show! How did Rivers play in his return? Have the Colts found their replacement for right tackle Braden Smith? Can we expect to see Anthony Richardson return to the lineup before the season ends? Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-ride-with-jmv/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:00 – 28:24 – JMV opens the show by talking about the Colts loss to the Seahawks. How did 44-year-old Philip Rivers play in his return to the field after five years? Will the Colts stick with him going forward? 28:25 – 41:22 – JMV talks about IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman Trophy, if AR5 should play for the Colts if he’s available, and more! He also takes some calls! 41:23 – 46:06 – JMV wraps up the 1st hour of the show! 46:07 – 1:12:44 – JMV takes more calls from listeners of the show about the Colts, Philip Rivers, the Heisman and more! 1:12:45 – 1:24:44 – JMV takes more calls from listeners about the Colts, Rivers and more! 1:24:45 – 1:28:06 – JMV wraps up the 2nd hour! 1:28:07 – 1:48:33 – Stephen Holder from ESPN joins the show! How did Rivers play in his return? Have the Colts found their replacement for right tackle Braden Smith? Can we expect to see Anthony Richardson return to the lineup before the season ends? 1:48:34 – 2:01:59 – JMV comments on the tragic passing of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife. He takes more calls from listeners about the Colts loss to Seattle. 2:02:00 – 2:10:29 – JMV wraps up the show! Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-ride-with-jmv/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There were several unusual sports stories which occurred over the weekend.  Let’s jump right in! WWE star performer John Cena finally ended his year-long “Good-bye” tour on Saturday night in a nationally televised wrestling event in Washington DC.  The 48-year old Cena was a 17-time WWE champion and, more recently, has become involved in the movie business much like former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Longtime NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, though, just exited his nearly five-year football retirement at age 44 on Sunday to lead the Indianapolis Colts.  Rivers last played NFL football in January, 2021. The irony is that it might be entirely possible that these two 40-something athletes might just find themselves doing the opposite at some point soon. Cena taps-out to the disappointment of millions of wrestling fans John Cena publicly announced his decision to retire from professional wrestling before the end of 2025 due to the physical nature of the sport and his advancing age.  That sounds rational and reasonable for a 48-year old man working in such a demanding and dangerous profession. John Cena’s wrestling ring motto was “Never give up!” Alas, the WWE scriptwriters for Saturday night’s final match ignored Cena’s favorite slogan. The popular John Cena tapped-out (gave up) in losing to a designated bad guy (“heel”) named Gunther. No, not Gunther Toody from “Car 54, Where are You?” There is actually a pro wrestler named Gunther! The wink-and-nod nature of pro wrestling etiquette is for the exiting top star to lose in their final match to promote an up-and-coming personality.  The exiting champion’s loss usually provides a significant “push” up the prestige ladder for the winner in popularity (good or bad) with pro wrestling fans. John Cena’s surprising loss to Gunther (a well-trained and very proficient wrestler who, unfortunately, has the personality of a dill pickle) means that something special is likely coming for Gunther soon in the WWE. Perhaps Gunther will receive a much-needed personality transplant and become a good guy (“baby face”) during 2026? Meanwhile, John Cena signed a 5-year deal to stick around WWE and help promote the business.  He claimed that his wrestling days were officially over as of Saturday night. But, hey, we’re talking pro wrestling here! You never know when a new script will developed by the WWE requiring none other than John Cena to save the day and make yet another “final” comeback, right? NFL: Ol’ Man Rivers…he keeps on rollin’ along! On the other end of the retirement spectrum, 44-year old quarterback Philip Rivers returned to the NFL on Sunday! The aging QB is now one good hit away from being sent back to his Alabama Gulf Coast home to begin a second NFL retirement soon. The Indianapolis Colts were the darlings of the NFL during the first two months of this season. They raced out to 7-1 start. Indy then lost four of its next five games. Making matters worse, starting quarterback Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury one week ago in Jacksonville.  Back-up quarterback Anthony Richardson was already on injured reserve nursing an eye injury. The Colts turned to a rookie third-stringer named Riley Leonard to replace the injured Daniel Jones in the game at Jacksonville. The former Notre Dame signal caller completed 18 out of 29 passes for a measly 145 yards and one interception in the Colts’ 34-19 defeat.  The team’s record fell to 8-5. Indianapolis found itself one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South.  The Colts’ playoff hopes were fading quickly. Enter Philip Rivers Quarterback Philip Rivers played 16 of his 17 NFL seasons with the San Diego-turned-Los Angeles Chargers. He became a free agent in 2020 and played for one final season with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring in early 2021 at age 39. The veteran quarterback has been living in southern Alabama wondering whether he might still be able to compete at a high level once again. Rivers said, “My wife always tells me that I’m crazy because there’s been times in the past three or four years when I said, ‘I wish I could just throw one and get hit hard!’ She’s like, ‘That’s not normal’!’”t A series of calls between Philip Rivers and his former Indianapolis coach brought the veteran signal caller out of retirement last week. He left the toasty Gulf Coast and traveled to frigid Indianapolis for one final NFL ride.  The likely Hall-of-Fame quarterback found himself in the team’s starting line-up days later on Sunday as the Colts traveled to play Seattle. Sunday’s game against the Seahawks saw Philip Rivers complete 18 of 27 pass attempts for a modest 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He led to the Colts downfield to take the lead with just 47 seconds remaining as newly signed (former Saints) placekicker Blake Grupe nailed a 60-yard field goal. Unfortunately, the Colts’ defense allowed Seattle to move the ball downfield to score a game-winning 57-yard field goal by Jason Myers with only seconds remaining. The Indianapolis Colts’ 18-16 loss dropped the team to 8-6 and two games behind Jacksonville in the AFC South. With three games left in the NFL regular season, Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts face a daunting challenge to qualify for the playoffs. Their next two games come at home against San Francisco (10-4) and Jacksonville (10-4). The Colts will close the season against their AFC South rival Houston Texans (9-5). Ouch.  This won’t get any easier for Ol’ Man Rivers and his Indianapolis Colts. The New Orleans Saints have become the NFL’s 2025 spoiler team Two weeks ago, the New Orleans Saints were a pitiful 2-10 and in the running for earning the NFL’s #1 draft pick next spring by having the worst record in the league. However, two consecutive wins over NFC South leaders Tampa Bay and Carolina have injected the suddenly-spunky Saints with some late-season confidence. The Saints rallied from behind in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive week on Sunday in defeating this week’s NFC South leader Carolina 20-17.  The loss dropped the Panthers into a first place tie with the team which New Orleans beat last weekend in western Florida.  Tampa Bay and Carolina are now tied at 7-7. The Saints improved to 4-10 and have zero chance of receiving the #1 draft pick next spring. Sunday’s victory put New Orleans behind a 2-12 trio of the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants plus the 3-11 duo of the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. Most Saints fans couldn’t be happier, though. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has displayed rapid improvement and provided some much-needed leadership in the Saints’ offensive huddle. The New Orleans Saints defense has been excellent recently, too.  The team’s final three games are winnable (at home for the 3-11 Jets this coming Sunday and on the road at 2-12 Tennessee and 5-9 Atlanta).  A 7-10 finish would be a huge accomplishment for rookie head coach Kellen Moore and his staff. Saints fans are finally feeling a little renewed hope for their favorite team. Did you hear about the wild finish in a Louisiana high school state championship game last Friday? Imagine if your high school football team had scored the potential game-tying touchdown in the state championship game with just 35 seconds left to play.  The extra point kick would tie the score, but…he missed it! Oh, no! The St. Charles Comets from LaPlace (30 miles NW of New Orleans) were that team last Friday night in the Louisiana Superdome.  Their opponent was none other than the defending state champion Archbishop Shaw High School Eagles (also from the New Orleans area). The Comets trailed 21-20 and attempted an onside kick.  Shaw recovered. St. Charles used its two remaining timeouts after first and second downs.  With no more timeouts remaining, all Shaw’s Eagles had to do to claim the state championship was to take a knee and watch the game clock run out. On that fateful third down play, one of Shaw’s offensive linemen prematurely tossed his helmet into the air – thinking that his team had already won the state championship. The game officials said, “Not so fast!” Archbishop Shaw was whistled for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play.  The Eagles faced a fourth down punting situation after the premature celebration penalty was whistled. St. Charles then partially blocked the punt. The Comets remarkably had the football back but only seconds remaining to be played.  A sideline pass completion found the Comets’ receiver running out of bounds to stop the clock and bring on a potential game winning field goal attempt. Yes, the field goal kicker would be the same St. Charles high school placekicker who missed the potential game-tying extra point just moments earlier.   This time, he would attempt a 47-yard game-winning field goal on the game’s final play. Tyler Milioto’s kick went, as New Orleans Saints fans might say, “Right down Poydras Street!” and through the uprights. St. Charles emerged with an improbable 23-21 win as pandemonium ensued in the Superdome. The players, coaches, and fans of both teams had just experienced extreme sadness and happiness – all during the final minute of play. For Archbishop Shaw’s team and fans, there was understandable confusion and anger about how the referees could have penalized one of their young men for being overly excited about winning a state football championship. The St. Charles Comets fans couldn’t believe their own good fortune in getting a second chance to win the game.  The team’s kicker felt a very special redemption. “I felt like I had lost us the game, and then the next thing I know I’m out there kicking the game-winning field goal,” said St. Charles kicker Tyler Milioto. Indeed!  It was the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. No one will forget that high school football game! The post John Cena taps out and Philip Rivers tags in appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

The Saturday Edition of the Good Morning Football Podcast looks back at the Bears loss and what it means moving forward. With the Chiefs fading, is there a team that could take control of the AFC in the future? Plus, the Colts bring back Philip Rivers but how will he look on the field? The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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