The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Good news! All of the good stuff you saw from the players you like and all the bad stuff from players you don't like in preseason is real. But the things that don't affirm your existing opinion? Fake. Not going to happen again. Robert Mays and Dave Helman have a mix of both those opinions and more reactions to the first preseason action of 2026.0:00 Welcome to the show3:54 Arizona Cardinals-Las Vegas Raiders4:30 Jeremiyah Love injury8:29 Fernando Mendoza9:52 Jeremiyah Love pre-injury14:24 Chase Bisontis15:25 Ty Simpson16:39 Stetson Bennett21:16 R Mason Thomas21:42 Drew Allar23:50 Jager Burton & Aaron Banks28:24 Caleb Douglas28:49 Kadyn Proctor29:49 De'zhaun Stribling30:33 Jakobi Lane32:49 Jack Bech34:46 Matthew Hibner37:35 Marlin Klein39:55 Cincinnati Bengals-Detroit Lions45:06 Cleveland Browns quarterbacks52:20 Browns receivers54:21 Carolina Panthers-Buffalo Bills56:07 Seattle Seahawks-Dallas Cowboys56:46 Jamal Adams57:51 Tennessee Titans-San Francisco 49ers59:46 Other positive performancesJoin The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Robert Mays slowly but surely made his way back to the Midwest from the mid-Atlantic on his training camp tour this week, kicking things off with the Eagles and wrapping it up with the Browns. In between, he made stops in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. As such, you'll hear from Eagles beat writer Zach Berman, Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo, Bills beat writer Joe Buscaglia, and Browns beat writer Zac Jackson on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:06 Eagles31:00 Steelers1:00:03 Bills1:25:15 BrownsHost: Robert MaysWith: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon MachotaExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/Between starter announcements, preseason game statuses, and late-camp signings...we couldn't possibly cover all of the big NFL training camp news in one show. So we didn't! Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen run it back for part two of training camp storylines.Accompanied reading: Bo Nix's area of improvement, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7503885/2026/08/11/broncos-bo-nix-quarterback-improvement-progressions/2:43 Kyler Murray & Minnesota Vikings7:40 What's next for JJ McCarthy13:19 Bo Nix & Denver Broncos18:06 Michael Penix Jr & Atlanta Falcons19:07 Penix vs Tua Tagovailoa20:14 Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson & Chicago Bears25:01 Deebo Samuel & San Francisco 49ers30:41 Elandon Roberts & Pittsburgh Steelers33:40 Devin White & Detroit Lions34:39 Darren Waller & Carolina Panthers37:47 Jonathon Brooks40:11 Marlon Humphrey/Nate Wiggins & Baltimore Ravens41:50 Cade Mays46:18 Jadeveon Clowney & Houston Texans50:05 Emmanuel Ogbah & Kansas City ChiefsJoin The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/Tired: Ranking. Wired: Drafting. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman draft who they think will be the best defenses in the NFL. Three drafters, five teams apiece, whoever's quintet ends the season with the best EPA per play wins. Derrik is on the clock...0:00 Welcome to the show4:35 Houston Texans10:14 Seattle Seahawks16:02 Los Angeles Rams22:01 Philadelphia Eagles27:21 Denver Broncos33:00 Cleveland Browns42:23 Pittsburgh Steelers49:18 Baltimore Ravens53:30 Minnesota Vikings59:09 Jacksonville Jaguars1:06:01 Buffalo Bills1:12:36 Kansas City Chiefs1:15:44 New York Giants1:20:20 New England Patriots1:20:45 New Orleans Saints1:20:57 Dallas Cowboys1:25:50 Los Angeles Chargers1:29:11 Indianapolis Colts1:31:39 Recap1:33:09 LIVE SHOW!Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/Nick Emmanwori. Parker Washington. Darnell Wright. All of these guys weren't necessarily getting a ton of attention at this time last year, and then they went on to completely swing how good their teams were. Who could do the same in 2026. Allow Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman to bring you the players who could swing the 2026 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Accompanied watching: Texans training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/dW-SINQBEiU), Seahawks training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/2C5ZH-Qm-wE).0:00 Welcome to the show3:46 Marlon Humphrey10:53 Nnamdi Madubike17:01 Garrett Bradbury20:32 Bears left tackles24:15 Ed Oliver31:35 Rashan Gary34:43 Cobie Durant38:35 Derrick Brown48:48 Jadarian Price55:40 Josh Jobe1:01:25 Keylan Rutledge1:06:12 Jayden Higgins1:10:00 AJ Brown1:20:51 TAFS live show!Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

No matter how well you know the NFL, a handful of teams every year are going to throw you for a loop on the doorstep of the season beginning. That doesn't mean they'll be bad, or even that you think they'll be bad. It just means you can't quite put a finger on what they're going to be and how they're going to play. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman name the teams they can't quite figure out in 2026 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.0:00 Welcome to the show4:41 Packers18:42 Saints28:41 Chargers38:11 Vikings44:41 Cardinals52:59 Patriots1:05:28 Commanders1:08:35 ChiefsJoin The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Robert Mays wrapped up his west coast swing at the end of last week, before heading down to the southeast and mid-Atlantic on his training camp travels. That means you get Michael-Shawn Dugar on the Seahawks; Josh Kendall on the Falcons; Nicki Jhabvala on the Commanders; and Jeff Zrebiec on the Ravens on this episode of The Athletic Football ShowRundown (timestamps are approximate)Seahawks 4:52Falcons 36:22Commanders 54:25Ravens 1:20:09Host: Robert MaysWith: Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall, Nicki Jhabvala, Jeff ZrebiecExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

August comes with salt air, the rust on your door, and a whole bunch of hollow training camp storylines. But how many of those storylines are actually worth believing? Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the running back market, the Vikings QB competition, Aaron Donald, and more of the trendy storylines coming out of training camp.Accompanied reading: Alec Lewis on Vikings run game, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7494772/2026/08/06/minnesota-vikings-run-game-training-camp/0:00 Welcome to the show0:53 Jahmyr Gibbs contract and disclaimer2:48 Bijan Robinson/Jonathan Taylor contracts8:46 Aaron Donald & Los Angeles Rams official workout14:32 Jakobi Lane & Baltimore Ravens18:33 Tylan Wallace nostalgia19:26 JJ McCarthy vs Kyler Murray23:56 Frank Smith & Minnesota Vikings run game27:59 Bud Clark & Seattle Seahawks32:38 Philadelphia Eagles receivers35:53 KC Concepcion/Denzel Boston & Cleveland Browns37:33 Browns trade for Spencer Rattler?43:00 New Orleans Saints optimism44:20 Darnell Wright & Chicago Bears contract48:37 MarShawn Lloyd & Green Bay Packers50:26 Packers offensive line52:40 Max Iheanachor & Pittsburgh Steelers56:18 Dexter Lawrence & Cincinnati BengalsJoin The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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

Long before Ted Lasso was a smash hit TV show, professional sports teams had been willing themselves to "BELIEVE." Sometimes, that works out wonderfully, as in the case of the Bears believing that Ben Johnson was just what the doctor ordered for Caleb Williams. Other times, it doesn't quite work out, like when the Giants told themselves they only had a Daniel Jones problem. So, what are the stories that NFL teams must believe about themselves this season? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman crack open the storybook on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.0:00 Welcome to the show5:11 Jaguars13:20 Giants25:30 Commanders25:45 Stefon Diggs news39:50 Eagles51:27 Colts57:16 Bills1:02:45 Chiefs1:05:43 Bengals/Cowboys1:08:30 Broncos1:10:30 TitansAccompanied reading: Sando's QB tiers, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nfl-quarterback-tiers-insider-rankings-2026/Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme 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