

The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
The Athletic
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, and tackle the ins and outs of roster building. They meticulously follow the details of why we all love this sport and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. You want year-round draft coverage? You'll get that here, too, with draft expert Dane Brugler. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show, available wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 14, 2025 • 1h 1min
Biggest questions of the 2025 offseason
Where will the on-the-move quarterbacks get off the carousel? How will the Bengals address their defense? Will the Rams turn the page to a new era? Where will the big-name free agents land. Those are just four of the offseason questions Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen addressed on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 6min
Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter lead Dane Brugler's first Top 100 of 2025
OK, enough with the 2024 season, it's time for 2025! Dane Brugler's post-Super Bowl Top 100 is out, and he joins Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show to get us firmly pointed toward the combine and the draft.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Dane BruglerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dane on X: @dpbruglerTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 2025 • 47min
Super Bowl LIX recap: Eagles cap off dramatic turnaround from last season with dominant win over Chiefs
The return to bully ball was one of the stories of the 2024 season. So perhaps it's fitting that the story of the Super Bowl was that of the Eagles utterly dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball in their 40-22 triumph over the Chiefs. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen break down Super Bowl LIX on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 7, 2025 • 57min
Super Bowl LIX Preview
The NFL season is a 285-game march to the Super Bowl. Friends, we have reached that 285th game. Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and Eagles is here, and Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive deep on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. What are the key matchups? Who and what will the guys be watching on both sides of the ball? What does this mean for the legacies of the key players, coaches and executives involved. Robert and Derrik get into all that, and a whole lot more, on our Super Bowl LIX preview.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 6, 2025 • 55min
The Super Bowl characters who have changed the way we think about them this season
Consider what you thought about Saquon Barkley before this season. How about Trent McDuffie? How about Nick Sirianni? Might feel a bit different about them now, right? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen discussed nine people involved in Super Bowl LIX who have changed the way we think about them this season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.RundownSaquon BarkleyNick SirianniHowie RosemanVic FangioZack BaunTrent McDuffieJoe ThuneyAndy ReidHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 5, 2025 • 1h 8min
The Chiefs hunt for a three-peat meets the Eagles march for redemption
Way back in September, it didn't necessarily feel like we were going to end up here. The Chiefs may have enjoyed their status as the NFL's latest—and perhaps greatest—dynasty, but it was clear the Bills and Ravens would push them in the AFC. The Eagles, meanwhile, began the season 2-2, and saw their coach getting in shouting matches with fans at their own stadium. And yet, here we are, getting ready for Chiefs-Eagles in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons. How did these teams make it here? What's at stake for them (beyond the obvious, of course)? Robert Mays sat down with Nate Taylor and Brooks Kubena, The Athletic's Chiefs and Eagles beat writers, respectively, to answer those questions on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Nate Taylor and Brooks KubenaExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 3, 2025 • 1h 12min
Senior Bowl takeaways, coaching carousel roundup, and veteran quarterback intrigue with Dianna Russini
Robert Mays and Dianna Russini kick off Super Bowl week with a crossover episode of The Athletic Football Show and Scoop City. The duo discusses Dianna's takeaways from the Senior Bowl, the behind-the-scenes elements of this year's head coach hiring cycle, the most interesting quarterbacks of the offseason, and more.RundownSenior Bowl takeawaysCoaching carousel roundupBrock Purdy/Niners negotiationsThe Matthew Stafford dominoSam Darnold's marketCould Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll reunite in Vegas?Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Dianna RussiniExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 2025 • 1h 8min
The TAFS mailbag is back!
It's been far too long since we heard from you, our dear listeners. And so we're happy to say that the TAFS inbox is open! Not just for this episode, either. We're going to be doing this all offseason long. In the return edition of the mailbag, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen discuss the point of fandom, the Bills best path to getting over the hump, if it's lame for neutral fans to root for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, what they'd do this offseason if they were Sam Darnold, and a whole lot more.RundownWhat can the Bills do to close the gap with the Chiefs in the playoffs?What is it to be a sports fan?Can Matt LaFleur get the Packers over the hump?Is it lame to root for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl?Assessing the staff around Ben Johnson in ChicagoWhat biases influence Robert and Derrik?What would you do this offseason if you were Sam Darnold?Could Matthew Stafford be on the move this offseason?The role of elite tight ends in dynastiesWhy hasn't Steve Spagnuolo's staff been picked over for DC jobs?Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 29, 2025 • 1h 14min
Lessons learned from this season's final four teams (and the Lions)
No team advances to its Conference Championship Game by accident. They get there through a combination of players, coaches, scheme and the way they were built. So what lessons can we learn from the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills and Commanders—and the Lions, let's be real—this season that we can apply to finding winners in future years? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and old friend Nate Tice dig into that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Nate TiceExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Nate on Bluesky: @natetice.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Nate on X: @Nate_TiceTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 28, 2025 • 1h 12min
The wildest 48 hours on the 2025 NFL coaching carousel
One of the signature NFL franchises announced its head coach on a Friday night at 10 pm, and that was the second craziest development of the weekend in the coach hiring cycle. So, yeah, it was a wild weekend on the coaching carousel. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen discuss Pete Carroll to the Raiders, Brian Schottenheimer's ascension in Dallas, Liam Coen's on-again/off-again/on-again partnership with the Jaguars and more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.RundownPete Carroll to the RaidersBrian Schottenheimer takes over in DallasLiam Coen goes to the JaguarsThe Saints are getting shut outCoordinator moves, headlined by Bobby Slowik and Dennis AllenHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.