The Ringer NFL Show

Reintegrating the NFL was only the first step. In this episode, we look at the long arc of the league’s complicated relationship with race, including positional discrepancies, coach hiring, front office representation, and the stark absence of Black owners. And we consider what it will take to effect real change. Host: Chelsea Stark-JonesCo-reporter: Lex Pryor  Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Mike Wargon, Justin Sayles, and Vikram Patel Sound Design and Original Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nora and Steven return to discuss the news out of the owners meetings, the latest on the contract fiasco between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, Robert Kraft’s comments on Bill Belichick, and the latest rule changes for the upcoming season.Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Steven RuizAssociate Producer: Stefan AndersonAdditional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By reintegrating pro football, Kenny, Woody, Bill, and Marion achieved what once seemed unthinkable. But the harder part was actually playing in a mostly white league. In this episode, we’ll look at the personal costs of integration for Kenny, Woody, Bill, and Marion. Host: Chelsea Stark-JonesCo-reporter: Lex Pryor  Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Mike Wargon, Justin Sayles, and Vikram Patel Sound Design and Original Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Lamarathon continues! Lamar Jackson told his Twitter followers on Monday that he’d requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens after being franchise-tagged and not reaching a long-term deal. Sheil and Ben discuss whether Jackson will be granted his wish or be back with the Ravens. Sheil and Ben also discuss what teams should be pursuing Jackson, and what the fallout will be if a team doesn’t trade for him.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff AugustinAdditional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1946, four men reintegrated pro football. In this episode, we look at how each of them ended up at the precipice of history, as they prepared to cross the sport’s color barrier. Host: Chelsea Stark-JonesCo-reporter: Lex Pryor  Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Mike Wargon, Justin Sayles, and Vikram Patel Sound Design and Original Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nora and Steven return to discuss the best remaining free agents, but with a twist. From "How Did the Niners Do This Again?" to "Most Likely to Become a Pro-Bowler on the Pats," they give awards for the top talent on the market. Nora concludes the show by speaking with Chelsea Stark-Jones to discuss The Ringer’s new narrative podcast, ‘Blackballed,’ a story about the four men who reintegrated pro football in 1946, after a 13-year span during which Black players were secretly banned from the NFL.Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Steven RuizGuest: Chelsea Stark-JonesAssociate Producer: Stefan AndersonAdditional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Six years ago, Colin Kaepernick took a knee, and it cost him the rest of his football career. It’s a modern story that hearkens back to the NFL’s original sin: a secret agreement among team owners to stop signing Black players almost a century ago. Host: Chelsea Stark-JonesCo-reporter: Lex Pryor  Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Mike Wargon, Justin Sayles, and Vikram Patel Sound Design and Original Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sheil and Ben discuss the current winners and losers of the offseason and free agency. The Dolphins have made some key additions that Ben really loves, including Jalen Ramsey, but does this put them at the top of the AFC East? The AFC West was overall disappointing last season and could still trend in that direction with the acquisitions, departures, and spending that the Raiders and Broncos have done so far this offseason. Sheil and Ben also predict the way too early division winners.Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Ben SolakProducer: Cliff AugustinAddition Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal and Conor Nevins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis, and Marion Motley reintegrated professional football in 1946. They are known as the Forgotten Four. The burying of their story, and the secret ban on Black players that came before, is a critical piece of the history of the NFL’s complicated relationship with race.Host: Chelsea Stark-JonesCo-reporter: Lex PryorProducers: Isaiah Blakely, Mike Wargon, Justin Sayles, and Vikram PatelSound Design and Original Theme Song: Devon RenaldoMixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nora and Steven get together for an emergency pod to react to Aaron Rodgers’s appearance and comments on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’ They examine Rodgers’s viability as an effective QB, whether or not the Jets will have the right pieces around him for success, and if his presence will elevate the Jets' contender status. They end the pod by speculating on possible trades the Jets will make going forward (25:01) and where they'll stand vs. other AFC heavyweights next season (34:44).Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Steven RuizAssociate Producer: Chris SuttonAdditional Production Supervision: Conor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices