

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

Aug 15, 2024 • 59min
Early impressions of this season's rookie quarterbacks + J.J. McCarthy's season-ending injury, with J.T. O'Sullivan
From excitement over Caleb Williams' debut to disappointment over J.J. McCarthy's season-ending knee injury, we already have plenty to talk about regarding this season's rookie quarterbacks. Robert Mays and former NFL quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan dive into early impressions on the rookies, and discuss what McCarthy misses out on by losing his rookie year, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: J.T. O'SullivanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow J.T. on X: @theqbschoolTheme 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.

Aug 13, 2024 • 1h 45min
AFC North Preview
Our 2024 Division Preview Series is here, and we're starting with a bang. The AFC North sent three teams to the playoffs last year, and that didn't include the Bengals, a team that went to two straight AFC Championship Games, as well as a Super Bowl, with a healthy Joe Burrow. What are we excited about for each of these teams? What's keeping us up at night? What does success look like? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer those questions and more about the Ravens, Browns, Steelers and Bengals on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.RundownBaltimore Ravens previewCleveland Browns previewPittsburgh Steelers previewCincinnati Bengals previewHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow 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.

Aug 9, 2024 • 51min
The training camp storylines that matter—and the ones that don't—with Gregg Rosenthal
Some training camp storylines matter. Some are just fodder to get us to the regular season. How do you figure out which is which? By listening to this episode of The Athletic Football Show with Robert Mays and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media.Host: Robert MaysWith: Gregg RosenthalExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Mitchell on X: @MitchSchwartz71Theme 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.

Aug 8, 2024 • 1h 32min
Predicting the NFL's top-10 defenses in 2024
Predicting the league's best offenses is child's play. The top defenses, though? That's a completely different ballgame. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen attempt to do just that, laying out their predictions for the league's top-10 defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also dive into the latest on Brandon Aiyuk.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow 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.

Aug 6, 2024 • 52min
The team DNA changers in the 2024 NFL season
Description: A team's two or three best players aren't the only ones who determine how its season goes. Sometimes, a new guy comes in and changes what a unit can do and how it feels. Put another way, he changes the unit's DNA. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight their 2024 DNA changers 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 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.

Aug 2, 2024 • 1h 28min
NFL Mythbusters: Challenging preconceived notions about the 2024 season, with Mitchell Schwartz
Wait a minute. Are the Chargers and Patriots really going to be that bad? Should the Falcons really be runaway favorites in the NFC South? Are the Jets really Super Bowl contenders? Robert Mays and Mitchell Schwartz bust some myths on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Mitchell SchwartzExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Mitchell on X: @MitchSchwartz71Theme 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.

Aug 1, 2024 • 1h 18min
Predicting the NFL's top-10 offenses in 2024
OK, we'll give you one right off the top. The 49ers are our top offense heading into the 2024 season. But which nine teams will join them in the top 10? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen offer up their predictions for this year's top-10 offenses 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 X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Matt on X: @mattschneidmanTheme 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.

Jul 30, 2024 • 1h 19min
New deals for Tua and Jordan Love, a new season for second-year quarterbacks, and a new co-host for TAFS
We at The Athletic Football Show are turning the page in more ways than one on this episode. Not only are we now firmly pointed toward the start of the 2024 NFL season, we are welcoming our new co-host. Derrik Klassen joins The Athletic Football Show as a permanent member of the cast, so it's only fitting that we focus on quarterbacks on this episode. The guys discuss the Tua Tagovailoa extension, welcome The Athletic Packers beat reporter Matt Schneidman to break down Jordan Love's, and break down what success looks like for this season's second-year quarterbacks—C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Bryce Young and Will Levis.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Matt SchneidmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Matt on X: @mattschneidmanTheme 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.

Jul 26, 2024 • 1h 15min
Eleven players who can make a leap in the 2024 NFL season, with Trevor Sikkema
Whether it's good-to-great, average-to-good, great-to-superstar, or some other combination thereof, plenty of players make leaps every NFL season. PFF's Trevor Sikkema joins Robert Mays to highlight the players they think can make the leap on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also round up some of the big news coming from the first few days of training camp.Host: Robert MaysWith: Trevor SikkemaExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Trevor on X: @TampaBayTre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 25, 2024 • 1h 19min
Half-baked takes for the 2024 NFL season, with David Helman
Come the end of the season, you can't hold Robert Mays and Fox Sports' David Helman to the takes they offer up on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Don't you dare even try. After all, they're just half-baked takes.Host: Robert MaysWith: David HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow David on X: @davidhelman_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.