We’ll be on-hand for all festivities. Cannot wait to reboot our Gameday Chat. Tune in for all sights, all sounds and all tomfoolery with fellow readers around the country. Always a good time. We’ll discuss anything and everything you’d like all Sunday.

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After two midweek clunkers, I’m feeling good about the Sunday slate. Or maybe it’s just the random Blake Bortles jersey I spotted at my layover in Detroit. Either way, let’s get the party started with Jarrett Bailey & Todd Haley of the insightful Pump Fake Podcast. Subscribe to their channel here. You know Haley from his long career coaching in the NFL — from WR coach to Arizona Cardinals’ Super Bowl OC to Kansas City Chiefs head coach to Steelers OC with a year in Cleveland we absolutely touch on. Bailey is an NFL writer at SB Nation and the producer of Behind the Steel Curtain.

We rip through a medley of topics on the cusp of this season.

• Aaron Rodgers’ podcast appearance on Not Just Football broke the Internet. He’s saying whatever he wants. Agree with him? Disagree? Bring it on. All of it.

• But as a quarterback — 43 years old in December — what does Rodgers have to offer? And what is Pittsburgh’s ceiling?

• Bailey has the Tennessee Titans making the playoffs, and explains why.

• Haley steers the focus to Robert Saleh. He wants the Titans HC to bring all of his sideline energy as a coordinator to the head job.

• Kyler Murray? No, Haley is not quite as bullish.

• None of us believe Chicago will make the playoffs. There’s got to be a odd man out in the NFCN.

• Which wide receiver did Haley need to convince to embrace blocking? His answer definitely shocked me.

• Does he still think about that ‘17 playoff loss to Jacksonville?

• C.J. Stroud and the Texans. We’ve got a deep dive live for subscribers. I hit on a few themes covered.

• You’ll want to stick around for Haley’s story from the 2018 draft. He was in Cleveland then and, dammit, he tried his best to convince owner Jimmy Haslam to draft Josh Allen. He relives that spring in full.

• Super Bowl picks.

Video and audio is above, and be sure to subscribe to our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

You can follow Bailey and Haley on X, and listen to the latter on Sirius XM Radio.

Miss any season preview stories? All links below.

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Do or Die for C.J. Stroud

Tony Pollard is the NFL’s hidden warrior

The “Big John” Simpson Creed

Tate Ratledge feels no pain

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

It’ll be an AFC heavyweight fight at Reliant Stadium… a place that’s been a house of horrors for Josh Allen.

What changes in 2026? We discuss the matchup and the identity of the Bills here on a quick Substack Live video.

This Texans defense is a different animal, as we learned.

Now, Joe Brady takes charge. His boss, Brandon Beane, certainly understands the stakes of this season.

Also: Keep an eye out for an extensive C.J. Stroud piece soon. Nobody in the NFL faces more pressure to produce.

Want to join future Substack Lives? Download the app right here.

Thanks, all.

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Good evening! The 2026 NFL Season is… here.

Finally.

Perfect time to schedule a Go Long Happy Hour for this Friday night.

All season, paid subscribers can hang out with former NFL coaches and players. Next up? Former head coach Todd Haley will join the program with his co-host on The Pump Fake podcast, Jarrett Bailey. (Loved popping on their show after our Vikings series.)

Haley is a football lifer, of course.

A longtime receivers coach, he was the offensive coordinator on the Arizona Cardinals’ Super Bowl team in 2008, took over as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 to ‘11, and then had a strong run as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ OC ‘12 to ‘17. These days, he’s coaching in the UFL and hosting an insightful program on NFL Radio.

You’ll love talking ball with Bailey, too. (Maybe we can get him going on McAfee’s album again.) When he’s not hosting The Pump Fake, he’s writing at SB Nation.

Subscribers can join our Zoom Happy Hour at the link below.

Here’s our last Happy Hour with ex-Bills GM Doug Whaley, icymi.

See you then.

Ask anything you’d like.

Log-in details:

When: Friday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. (EST)

Link: CLICK HERE

Meeting ID: 889 4615 6328

Passcode: 170624

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The 2026 NFL Season is HERE.

No more lists. No more forecasting. We officially have substantive games to gnaw on starting Wednesday night.

You bet “Real Football” will march on with co-host Jim Monos, our resident NFL scout/exec, this fall. Subscribers can expect a full episode each Tuesday. Our goal — always — is to bring you something different. Monos will tap into his experiences with the Eagles, Saints and Bills, while I share reporting stories from the road.

In addition to these weekly shows, we’ve got fun news to share: Expect half-hour Buffalo Bills postgame shows on Substack Live. Monos served as the team’s director of personnel from May ‘13 to May ‘17 and I’ll be around One Bills Drive plenty this season. On these live videos, paid subscribers will be able to hang out with us and ask questions in real time after all games.

Subscribe now

This week, my pal made the trip down to Ellicottville, NY.

We post up at Ellicottville Brewing Company.

Gotta say, as much as I love their signature EBC Blueberry, “The Charge Lager” and “Fan Zone” beers on tap deliver. Highly recommend. If we have readers that’d like to hang out in-person down here in the Southern Tier, let me know.

On this episode, we primarily we dig into everything NFC after last week’s AFC show.

The Los Angeles Rams have constructed a mega team.

Who’s the best challenger?

• There was one grave omission in our 2026 NFL Predictions: the Jaguars. How did we all overlook a 13-4 team?

• How is Sean McDermott taking in Bills games this season?

• Readers asked why in the hell Monos has Matt LaFleur on the hot seat while also picking Green Bay to make the Super Bowl. He explains. (And he still can’t shake that playoff loss).

• Jared Goff doesn’t move. That’s fine. His brain’s sharper than ever.

• Caleb Williams does move and improvise and create as well as anyone. Can he master the other stuff?

• Christian Parker, profiled here, could be the ultimate X-Factor in this conference. If the Cowboys’ defense improves to average, look out.

• You guys know I’ve been bullish on Minnesota.

• Hey, let’s not forget the Seattle Seahawks did win a Super Bowl.

Video and audio is above and accessible over on our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

Once we get the season rolling, full episodes will be exclusive to members. A fine time to upgrade for those on the free list.

Go Long is completely independent because of you. No gambling BS, no ads, no sponsors. Thanks, all.

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2026 NFL Season Preview Features to date…

• Tony Pollard is the NFL’s hidden warrior

• The “Big John” Simpson Creed

• Tate Ratledge feels no pain

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

• The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

• ‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

• ‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

• Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

• Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

Glover Quin’s rise from the boondocks of Mississippi to NFL All-Pro is instructive for players, too.

This week on the Go Long Pod, I catch up with one of the best safeties in recent memory. Quin spent four seasons with the Texans and six with the Lions in starting 148 straight games. His best season, hands down, came in 2014. That playoff year in Detroit, Quin picked off an NFL-high seven passes. He guides us through them all.

Many war stories are shared. (Once, Quin caught three picks with a cast over his hand. How? He relives it all.)

He played for Jim Schwartz, Jim Caldwell and Matt Patricia in Detroit. Go Long readers may remember Quin’s name coming up back when we reported on life under Patricia. Players were not fans! Quin explains why the ex-Patriot coordinator failed so miserably as a head coach.

In Detroit, Quin also played with Matthew Stafford. We get his thoughts on the reigning NFL MVP.

As for today’s Texans defense — a crew full of savages — Quin offers a take you won’t hear anywhere else.

Nowadays, he’s a father of three and running his own business in Houston: “GQ Frames.” Life is good and he certainly earned every inch.

Video and audio are both above. Be sure to also add the Go Long channel to your Apple, Spotify and YouTube feeds.

Thanks for subscribing and sharing, all.

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ICYMI:

• 2026 NFL Predictions

• ‘I’m a believer — more than most — in Jordan Love:’ 18-year NFL vet Matt Hasselbeck

• New head coach, new vibes, a title for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens?

• The “Big John” Simpson Creed

The Jesse Minter Era is here for the Baltimore Ravens. We drove down to Maryland to sit down with “Big John” Simpson — that feature is here, icymi. Is this the season Lamar Jackson finally gets to a Super Bowl? To get more answers, let’s welcome on a new guest: Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun.

Wacker recently penned this excellent story on new Ravens OC Declan Doyle.

We dig into everything here on the Go Long Pod.

• Minter’s voice, and why it was needed.

• What’s new on defense? (A lot!)

• How is Doyle coaching Jackson? His attention to detail is extreme — in all of the best ways. Jackson, by all accounts, has been receptive, too.

• Where did things go wrong between Jackson and Harbaugh the last couple seasons? Something was clearly off.

• Explosive plays could be in high, high supply for the Ravens.

• Ja’Kobi Lane FEVER.

• Wacker’s concerns with this Ravens roster on offense, defense and special teams. He likes Cincinnati in the AFC North. (Paul Dehner Jr. dissected everything Bengals here.)

Video and audio of this podcast is above.

You can also subscribe to our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

Thanks, all.

Subscribe now

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2026 NFL Season Preview Features to date…

The “Big John” Simpson Creed

Tate Ratledge feels no pain

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

Jim Monos will be with me all season long. The longtime NFL personnel man always brings A+ stories from his years in the league with the Eagles, Saints and Bills.

This week, we try to figure out who’ll represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Topics include:

• We must start with Jed York and the prostitution sting that made all of us throw up in our mouths.

• Deshaun Watson is QB1 in Cleveland. Shedeur Sanders stinks. What do we make of the Browns?

• The Buffalo Bills. Monos — the team’s former director of personnel — has some real concerns with the personnel on defense.

• Jim Leonhard. Why his plan of attack should complement Josh Allen on offense.

• Jim’s AFC pick. (Hint: He might’ve worked with the head coach of this team before.)

• My AFC pick. (Hint: Unicorns.)

• Preseason FEVER. Monos has had enough. Some Rueben Bain chatter slips us into some bonus Bucs talk. We’ll get to the NFC at greater length next week.

The full 88-minute episode is available to Go Long paid subscribers.

Video and audio is above. If you prefer to listen on Apple or Overcast as a subscriber, bang it here to sync your subscription. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.

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I think you’ll be eager to read this book after listening, too.

Longtime NFL reporter is the author of “Just Give Me a Chance: The Life of NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Sam Mills.”

Mills is one the true all-time greats and his rise to football stardom is littered with people who didn’t believe someone who stood 5-foot-9 could ever play linebacker. Domowitch spoke to 80+ people for this book, which you can purchase right here on Amazon.

There are numbers to study. At linebacker, Mills racked up 1,265 career tackles, 20.5 sacks, 24 forced fumbles, 23 fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions. He made five Pro Bowls. He was even a first-team All Pro at age 37 on a Carolina Panthers team that reached the NFC Championship Game in their second year of existence.

His legacy, however, runs much deeper than any accolades or statistics.

One “Keep Pounding” speech Mills gave as a Panthers assistant coach — while battling cancer — still resonates today. Mills died in 2005 at the age of 45.

Domowitch has covered the Philadelphia Eagles for years and now runs his own Substack: Tush Push.

Video and audio of my conversation with Domowitch is above, and also accessible on our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

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ICYMI:

The Cleveland Browns’ bridge to nowhere

Tate Ratledge feels no pain

This week, we’ve got a piece on Tate Ratledge — a man who represents the cutthroat nature of the sport itself. Thanks to all who’ve subscribed, read and shared. Ratledge opened up on the night that changed his life and much more.

With Lions on the brain, I thought we were due to hit record on a Substack Live with our friend of The Detroit Football Network.

Ratledge put the championship expectations perfectly in our chat:

“What’s known doesn’t have to be talked about. Why are you playing if that’s not your goal? It’s definitely serious around here. Not that it gets brought up 24/7, but it’s a very known thing around the building.”

Here on the pod, we dig deep into why title aspirations are real — it’s a loaded roster, everyone’s (very) hungry — and what could be the team’s Achilles heel. A ton of insight.

Be sure to download the Substack app to join all future live recordings:

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Go Long is your home for longform.

On our free list? It’s a perfect time to join our community of readers from around the world.

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2026 NFL Season Preview Features to date:

Tate Ratledge feels no pain

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

This week, subscribers had the chance to ask a former NFL general manager questions.

Doug Whaley oversaw the Buffalo Bills as GM from May 2013 through May 2017. Before Buffalo, he spent a decade on the Pittsburgh Steelers scouting staff and earned a pair of Super Bowl rings. Since Buffalo, he’s helped build the UFL into a viable league as the senior vice president of personnel.

Loved welcoming Whaley back on the show. Much was gleaned.

He explains why the UFL is working and answers a string of excellent questions on how best to handle injury reports, the Sammy Watkins draft pick, the sale of these Bills to Terry Pegula, Russ Brandon’s role and we also get his thoughts on the Bills and Steelers of today. Whaley helped hire Sean McDermott in 2017 before the coach replaced him with Brandon Beane. What does he think of Pegula moving on from McDermott a decade later? And in 2022, Whaley interviewed for the Steelers’ GM vacancy, losing out to Omar Khan. What does he make of the Steelers’ perpetual vision to compete year-in and year-out vs. planning long term? Can this Mike McCarthy-Aaron Rodgers union work?

As always, paid subscribers can join players, coaches and execs from around the NFL on our Happy Hours.

Our goal at Go Long is to bring you as close as possible to real, raw football.

Thank you for hanging out, everyone. Love meeting you all.

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Full video and audio is above.

Be sure to add the Go Long Podcast to all of your feeds — including YouTube, Apple and Spotify.

During our chat, a few stories/podcasts were also referenced. Here are those links, if you’d like to read back:

• What Sammy Watkins Believes (2020)

• The Pressure is on Josh Allen (2020)

• The day the Buffalo Bills could’ve drafted Patrick Mahomes (2025)

• Doug Whaley, the ‘17 draft and life behind the curtain (2021)

• Doug Whaley on Fitz, the XFL, Steelers GM job and... the time the Bills nearly took Russell Wilson (2022)

• The first episode of the Go Long Podcast with Whaley and Jim Monos (2020)

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Happy Hour Replays:

• Eric Wood

• Isaiah McKenzie

• Allen Robinson

• Rob Johnson

• Preston Brown

• Alex Green

• Steve Calhoun

• John Hansen

• Andrew Brandt

• Peter King

• Warren Moon

• Isaiah McKenzie

• Bob McGinn

• Rob Johnson

• Jamal Lewis

• T.J. Lang

• Jamaal Williams

• Stevie Johnson

• Richie Incognito

• Wyatt Teller

• Doug Whaley

• Isaiah Likely

• Stevie Johnson

• Eric Wood

• LeRoy Butler

• Bob McGinn & Jim Monos

• Quincy Avery

• Erik Kramer

• Frank Winters

• Olin Kreutz

• Peter King

• Johnathan Franklin

• Steve Calhoun

• Jim Monos

• Jace Sternberger

• Doug Whaley

• Isaiah McKenzie

• Andy Janovich

• Vince Williams

• Ryan Leaf & Steve Tasker

• Joshua Harris

• D’Wayne Eskridge

• Allen Robinson

Great news, all.

We’ve got an excellent Happy Hour guest for you on tap.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. (EST), Go Long subscribers can hang out with former Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley on Zoom. These days, Whaley is the senior vice president of personnel in the UFL. He’s also on the Pittsburgh Panthers staff, handling NIL and financial decisions.

Whaley has joined us before.

And I also caught up with the ex-GM ahead of the 2024 AFC Championship to discuss his old boss’ deep affection for Patrick Mahomes.

He’ll take you right inside an NFL front office with stories for days.

Whaley was named the Bills’ assistant GM in February 2010 and took over as GM in May 2013, where he stayed until May 2017. Real Football co-host Jim Monos, of course, served as his right-hand man during his tenure.

Prior to Buffalo, Whaley spent a decade in the Pittsburgh Steelers scouting department.

We’re bringing back Happy Hours all season long.

This is your chance to ask people in the NFL anything you would like.

Paid subscribers can join us at 7:30 p.m. (EST. Link below…

Read more

Jordan Poyer got to the other side.

Last season, the longtime Buffalo Bills safety opened up on it all. Alcohol addiction. Pain pills. A teammate nearly dying on the field. Countless injuries. Playoff heartbreak. All of it took a debilitating toll on Poyer. Yet, he plowed ahead at one speed because that’s all he knows.

He was able to survive — and thrive — by getting in touch with mind, body and soul.

You leave a conversation with Poyer determined to change your own life. A trip to Costa Rica for an ayahuasca retreat may be difficult to pull off, but breathwork is right at the tip of our fingers. Poyer teamed up with , a revolutionary in the wellness and breathwork space. August is the founder of Beats and Breath and runs the excellent Substack, The Way of Mastery. I’ve gotten into Beats and Breath myself and cannot advocate for the app enough. It’s fantastic.

We thought it’d be a great idea to continue the conversation at the Go Long Podcast.

The art of something so simple — breathing — can change your life.

As the season closes in, NFL teams should pay attention, too.

Take it from August:

“I’m going to make a bold statement. I told Jordan this, and this is why we came together. I said the first team to adopt this as a practice, the first team to actually come together and breathe together — coaches including players — they’re going to be the ones that win it all. And I don’t care what type of team it is, whether it’s an NFL team, an NBA team, MLB team, a college team, it doesn’t matter.”

The margin for error is so exceptionally minuscule. We see it each January.

This could be the difference for a team on the cusp.

Both Buffalonians hope Joe Brady and the 2026 Buffalo Bills are paying attention.

Hope you all enjoy this one. What a fun ride this chat was, from August reliving the time he died and came back to life (seriously) to why Poyer sees himself as a future NFL head coach. You’ll learn more about the Bills’ excellent sports science department, too.

Video and audio is above. Prefer to listen on Apple or Overcast? Bang it here to sync your subscription. Instructions on syncing on Spotify are also here.

Download Beats and Breath here if you’d like. August combines breathing techniques with various beats that slip you into a calming state of zen.

For Go Long readers/listeners, he also passed along this track from the app that’s narrated by Poyer. Close your eyes and give it a try any time you’d like:

“Inner Edge,” with Jordan Poyer

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ICYMI:

Jordan Poyer’s Last Stand

2026 Season Preview Features to date:

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

Share Go Long

It’s got to be.

Finally.

Right?

Right!?!

Hotdiggity did Burrow’s somber press conference on his 29th birthday harken back to Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement. He looked and sounded defeated. Now, Joe Cool is completely rejuvenated — and for good reason. Cincinnati busted out the checkbook and got itself a defense this offseason. Boye Mafe. Bryan Cook. Dexter Lawrence. Unlike summers past, the vibes are damn good.

So, let’s get our pal Paul Dehner Jr. on the horn. A recurring guest on the Go Long Podcast, Paul is the exceptional Bengals beat writer at The Athletic and the host of The Growler podcast. This past week, he authored a viral must-read on the darling of Bengals training camp: wide receiver Dohnte Meyers. (It’s worth your time.)

We’ve had fun tracking the Burrow Era at Go Long ourselves. From the Villains on D to the “Son of Zeus” to vets like Tyler Boyd, Chidobe Awuzie and DJ Reader, and future NFL head coach Dan Pitcher.

Confidence — into 2026 — is soaring for the Bengals, as we learn.

Paul helps us get inside the mind of Burrow and set the scene for what could be a championship season.

Video and audio is above.

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2026 Season Preview Features to date:

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘We will be the best offensive line in football:’ Q&A with Alec Anderson, Buffalo Bills enforcer

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

• There’s a new QB1 in Minnesota. We examined this union in full at Go Long with The Kyler Murray Project — here’s Part I and Part II for subscribers. A ton to unpack. We study what led to this all and where it’s going.

• Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams enter Year 2 together, and the Bears coach is talking a big game. Can this offense light it up? They may need to with a big injury hitting the defense.

• The heat should be on Matt LaFleur to get it done in his eighth year as the Packers head coach. Brian Gutekunst has done his part. The roster’s ready.

• Then, there’s the Detroit Lions. It’s been all business for Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell.

On Real Football with co-host Jim Monos — our longtime NFL scout/exec — we analyze it all in full.

Video and audio is above.

You’ll never read, see or hear one ad at Go Long. We’re completely independent because of you.

Thank you for your support and sharing with a friend.

It’s a perfect time to upgrade with our 2026 Season Preview features in full swing.

Subscribe now

Give a gift subscription

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

Hey, it’s Kyler Time. The Minnesota Vikings announced this week that Kyler Murray is their starting quarterback.

At Go Long, I’ve spent much of this summer reporting on the new union, speaking to sources in Minnesota, Arizona and ‘round the NFL. The Kyler Project, a two-part series, is live for paid subscribers. Part I takes a close look at Michael Bidwill, Marvin Harrison Jr. and all grime in Arizona, as well as J.J. McCarthy. Where did things go wrong for the QB selected to be the franchise guy in ‘24? Teammates had much to say.

Keep an eye out for Part II this morning. We gaze into the crystal ball to see how Murray will perform this season.

Here on the Go Long Podcast, it was a perfect time to dial up my good friend Conor Orr at Sports Illustrated. He penned this column when the news broke. Nobody’s better at sharpening opinions in real time when news breaks in pro football.

Can Murray vault the Vikings into contention?

We discuss, debate and try to drive the conversation further. (With a hearty amount of Dad Talk at the top of the episode.)

Video and audio is above. Be sure to add the Go Long channel wherever you pod: Apple, Spotify, YouTube and rate/review/share.

We don’t rely on ads or sponsors at all. Go Long will forever be fueled by the people. Would love it if you shared the show with a friend. And as the 2026 NFL Season closes in — if you’re on our free list — make sure you upgrade to a paid subscription to gain access to all season-preview features.

Our aim, always, is to bring you behind the curtain.

Thanks, all.

Subscribe now

Share Go Long

2026 Season Preview Features to date…

The Kyler Murray Project, Part I: Liberated

The Kyler Murray Project, Part II: The Great Unknown

‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

A perfect time to welcome in co-host Jim Monos for another episode of Real Football.

We hit on several training camps.

A few topics discussed…

• DJ Moore has been dynamite at St. John Fisher for the Buffalo Bills. What does it mean? Will it last? Go Long chatted 1 on 1 with Moore at camp.

• New Orleans Saints. Our pal Monos won a Super Bowl ring with this team in 2009 as the southeast scout. He’s digging the rebuild.

• Bryce Young. If it hasn’t happened by now, will it?

• Aaron Rodgers went scorched earth on McAfee. He also reconciled with his family. Let’s check in on the complicated fella and the Steelers’ prospects.

• Why Baltimore is a sneaky contender. (Hint: Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry remain aliens.)

• Arizona may go 0-17. Save Jeremiyah Love.

• Which starting quarterback in 2026 is destined for Backup Quarterback Island in 2027?

As a reminder, your ears will never be filled with ads on our podcasts.

We’d love it if you shared this episode with a friend and kept our community growing.

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First up: St. John Fisher University.

Joe Brady is the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. We’ve learned all about his rise and his vision. Now, it’s time to see how he’ll lead a team diehards expect to make the Super Bowl. Hard to imagine a coach in recent NFL history who has faced pressure to this extreme. And to his credit, Brady has not shied from the heat one bit.

After practice on Monday, I caught up with our friend Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. Video and audio is above.

A few topics covered…

• New direction on defense. What are the potential challenges facing new DC Jim Leonhard? Why will this shift to more chaos, more confusion be different than the Rex Ryan Days (Daze)? Brady made an important distinction today.

• Sean McDermott is out. Brady is in. We’re already seeing major differences between the two.

• Why Brady is more than a “fun uncle.” Alec Anderson’s quote was chum for those view Brady as a yes man. There is a happy medium the 36-year-old head coach can strike.

• You heard from Josh Allen. He doesn’t want to go down as the best who never won it. He’ll certainly want to make amends for a playoff loss to forget. What’s going on in his mind ahead of this season?

• The QB-HC relationship must be right for any team to win. (I don’t think the new coach will cuss out his quarterback for building a house.)

Thank you for watching, listening and sharing.

You won’t hear one ad on our podcasts and it’s only possible because of you.

Let’s keep growing our community into this season:

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ICYMI:

• ‘Who’s going to take this yard?’ The Arrival of Eric Wilson

• Jordyn Brooks is the captain now

• Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

Other pod links:

• Apple

• Spotify

A beautiful thing.

On the podcast, I catch up with the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher: Ahman Green. The episode’s off ‘n running with Green detailing life post-NFL. He’s doing everything in his power to maintain a healthy lifestyle — and for good reason. Green opens up on a new opponent that could prove more daunting than anything he experienced on the field: Parkinson’s. But he’s not scared.

Of course, we also look back to his fondest Packers memories. Green had six 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Green Bay. In 2003, he eclipsed 2K scrimmage yards. What made this possible? Readers of our Dolphins piece last Friday will notice a theme. He points, first, to those relationships with his offensive line.

Green didn’t mince words on Matt LaFleur and his former team when we chatted on radio row at the Super Bowl. Now that the offseason has passed, what does he think of the Packers’ prospects in 2026? There’s one player he particularly loves to watch.

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Love welcoming back one of the most underrated players of the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Brown is always insightful and introspective.

On this episode, we get into plenty:

• Tom Brady’s mid-life crisis. This is getting weird and sad.

• Wide Receiver drama. There were no such divas back on his Steelers teams, but how would Brown navigate this matrix as a GM today?

• John Schneider’s mastery. He wrote the Seahawks GM a letter.

• His love for snakes. Brown didn’t sprint the other direction when a python sank its teeth into his arm. Be sure to catch Shannon Sharpe’s legendary trash talk. He knew Brown loved reptiles and didn’t hold back one Seattle-Denver game.

• Seahawks’ repeat efforts. What impressed Brown most about last year’s run?

• State of the Steelers. What is Omar Khan’s long-term plan?

• Why he loves the L.A. Rams’ title odds. He sees those multi-TE sets ruling again.

Video and audio of this week’s chat is above. Also be sure to hit subscribe, comment rate and review over on our channels over at Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, played 15 seasons in all with 1,091 career tackles, 79 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, 15 fumble recoveries and six interceptions. He was a key piece on the epic “Blitzburgh” defenses of the 90s, starred for the Seahawks and capped his career off with the 2007 Patriots team that nearly went undefeated.

Today, he’s one of the sharpest analysts going. You can catch him on ESPN Radio and calling college/pro games on the Compass Media Network. His X handle is @chadbrown94.

We’ve previously chatted with Brown for this story on the history/aura of the Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker. And then again, for a (very) deep conversation on the state of football in 2023 — words and pod.

Thanks, all!

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ICYMI:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the hunt for heart

• Our 2026 Quarterback Draft

• Dregs to Domination: The Aaron Brewer Blueprint

• The Wide Receiver Matrix

• Real Football: Brian Westbrook on defying the odds, McNabb-TO, Hurts-AJB & timeless Philadelphia Eagles memories

They’re populating the interwebs everywhere.

A perfect time to reprise the Quarterback Draft on Real Football. Subscribers may recall co-host Jim Monos and myself bringing in our pal Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic to draft QBs a few years back.

Let’s get the band back together.

Full video and audio is available above for paid subscribers.

There’s no perfect way to grade quarterback success, but we’ll use the QBR stat that takes multiple factors into account. Each of us select six quarterbacks via snake draft. At the end of the season, we’ll each take the five best scores of those six for a grand total. Winner gets a free dinner of their choosing from the other two.

Fairburn might’ve taken the crown in 2023. But for what it’s worth, I’m already booking my reservation at West Rose in Ellicottville, NY.

Monos of course scouted for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and served as the director of personnel for the Buffalo Bills. Fairburn has covered both the NFL and NHL for The Athletic. Good chance you’ve read his excellent Sabres coverage this past season right through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s still keeping a close eye on the NFL, too.

Let us know who you think assembled the best crew in the comments.

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Our 2026 NFL Season Preview Features are underway. First up, a profile of Dolphins center Aaron Brewer. Much more on tap. We’d love to have you join our community today.

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