Judge clears pro players to return to LSU

0:00We have to live Friday edition heading into Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer. I love summertime. I love it when it's nice out. The days are longer. I'm not as busy. I know what football season is going to be, and I love football season. But I relish June, July, and August, because those are the only three months out of the year where I feel like a normal human being who isn't constantly consumed with everything that's happening in the NFL. And I thought the slow time this year didn't really get that slow until camps open, and I realized it was slower. Here's still all going on, but it was slower. You open 32 camps, and you have stuff going on in all of them and people talking and injuries happening. It got busy fast, and we're getting closer and closer now that we are at Liberty Weekend to the start of the season.

1:03And one of the great unknowns, especially with so many new coaches, how will the first time coaches do, Jesse Minner, first time head coach in Baltimore, Declan Doyle, who was the offensive coordinator in Chicago, but Ben Johnson ran that show now, in Baltimore, with a defensive head coach, Declan Doyle, as one of 21 new offensive coordinators, he's far more in charge of the offense in Baltimore than it was in Chicago. And that leads to Lamar Jackson, and I believe this is his clip without him shine of serious XM, Mad Dog radio on the Ravens offense for the upcoming season. Have a listen. I can call it with this offense everywhere. There's a lot of movement parts with all offense men. There's a guy flying around. I don't want to say like a one trip point because it's far from that. You know, it's everything. Everything you need in the offense play actually drop back.

2:04Rang game is like everything you want in the offensive system. And like coaches, like I just said, well, coach Jesse, the attention to detail, he's over the like preaching that, you know, he won't ever got to know what everyone's doing basically with the offense. So he's just making everyone job a lot easier, and I just came with the showcasing your two time MVP. So as you're going to take your game, your name to a different level. I can't call you know until we out there in the field, but like from practice, just the inside of practice and what I've been saying on film. It's like, man, I don't believe a defense is prepared for what they're what's the stuff for us or what's the stuff for them. Little preview there from Mar Jackson, who usually doesn't say much when it comes to that. He doesn't write many checks. He just goes out. He just goes out and shows you. He doesn't tell you what he's going to do. He just shows you what he can do. I can't think of another time in my and. Mar Jackson's career where he has told us what he's going to do. So I'm, I saw that I'm thinking, uh oh, uh oh for him to say that.

3:15Maybe they do have something in store for everyone that we're not ready for. You know, when I heard him say that Mike, my first thought was he feels good. Forget about the offensive coordinator. Forget about the other elements of the offense. I think this is Lamar Jackson telling you that he feels great. Last year, you could tell it was even when he came back. We saw obviously you missed some games, but when he was back on the field, it would that extra gear was missing. And it didn't look quite the same. It was Lamar Jackson at 90% or 80% when it came to the running game, especially. So I think Lamar Jackson is feeling pretty good about his body. Question is, can he develop or can he help the number two receiver on the Baltimore Ravens, wherever you think that's going to be because last year in terms of receptions, their number two receiver was Mark Andrews.

4:16You had Zay flowers doing this thing, really good player. But Rashad Bateman was not a great season for him. Isaiah likely was out for most of the season now. He's with Harbaugh with the giant. So who's that number two receiver going to be for Lamar Jackson? The peace talking about guys running all over the field and defenses really being challenged about where to go and where to put their emphasis. Can those guys step up as they didn't last year? And that really is one of the keys and look, it's developing the weapons. It's creating the most confusion, pre snap, it's keeping the defense guessing as to what Lamar Jackson is going to do before he does it. And it got my attention because the offseason was a little uncertain at times. We never know what Lamar Jackson is thinking about his status with the Ravens because he never talks about it.

5:20There was a thought that he wanted a veteran coach with an offensive pedigree when they hire a defensive coach who's never been a head coach before. You just wonder how's he going to feel about that? You'll wonder how he's going to embrace an offensive coordinator who's basically his age, but based upon what he said yesterday and he doesn't seem like one who will sugar code anything. He doesn't have time for that shit. That's one of the things I respect about me doesn't play games. He doesn't blow smoke. He usually doesn't want to say anything. He just wants to go live his life. So when he tells you something, you can take it to the bank that he means it. He's not, he's not engaged in any BS, huffing and puffing to try to make the Ravens look better than they're going to be. He's just state in facts. So he's happy with what they're going to do. And he's confident that it's going to be a good thing to do. He's going to put defenses in a difficult position. And I'm very curious to see how it goes for the Ravens. All right, let's take a break. I'm curious to see how it goes in the ongoing legal battle LSU versus SEC.

6:33Playing courtroom ping pong between Louisiana and Alabama and back again. And it's all got to come to a head today. We'll get you up to speed. Next here on PFT Live. PFT Live Friday edition before we get to LSU versus SEC yesterday afternoon. North Carolina General Manager Michael Lombardi abruptly resigned amid an ongoing investigation that had him on paid administrative leave. Not long ago his lawyer Tom Mars was calling it a witch hunt and also a snipe hunt and basically daring North Carolina to fire Lombardi with cause if they had any cause to do so. And one of the realities of being on paid administrative leave the key word is paid. He resigned. And Brian Murphy of WRAL said that the resignation came minutes before WRAL press published on a new report. The investigation in North Carolina has expanded to focus on Steve Belichek, the defensive coordinator who's currently on medical leave.

7:42And also there are other prongs to the investigation. I'll defer to the story of PFT Live. I want to be very precise with the facts. We'll be sued by someone read the story of PFT which sites the article at WRAL but it's not looking good for North Carolina right now. The captain of the ship is Bill Belichek and at some point the ship is going to sink and the captain is going to go down with the ship. And when you look at the broader picture here if this was a program where they love their head coach they would not have let the fuse on this investigation. This potentially going to take him down with cause so they don't have to pay his buyout. Listen you just you just referenced the ship and we know the classic line from Michael Ray Richardson the ship be sinking right and the follow up question.

8:42Hello can it go they said and you know what he said the skies the limit. So yeah great this great follow up there but really Mike I was want you to think about how stunning this turnaround is you want to talk about the facts and just thinking with the facts how stunning this turnaround is. So Michael Lombardi is on paid leave he is the highest paid general manager from public universities one and a half million dollars per year three year contract he's on a paid leave so all right no I don't go with the team the Ireland for the big upset win over Texas over TCU but I'm getting paid and his attorney as you reference was talking with such confidence such bravado. They don't have anything and if they had something they could get him out of here this is all this is a witch hunt and so it's hey we're going to sit here and see what you have and we're going to collect our money and then to go from there to resigning where they don't owe you a thing they didn't have to fire you for cause they don't have to get into any kind of legal fight you retreated.

10:01Woo that's stunning so I don't know what it is that he is afraid of or that he's running from but I have a hard time believing the statement that I'm going to resign because I want the focus to be on the 2026 North Carolina football team well. Hey Mike the focus is not going to be on the 2026 Carolina Tari Hills because there's a lot going on in Chapel Hill. And it's amazing and hindsight that they won that game that makes it even more impressive and maybe it helps explain the emotion the rare display from Bill Buschhead. First down when they when they put themselves in position to clock the ball and not clock the ball taking the and run out the clock and end the game and get the win because not only is Steve Bellicek on medical leave he's now being scrutinized by the investigation and they've never said why he's on medical leave does that have anything to do with the investigation I don't know but the Lombardi Lombardi not available either Bellicek having to do more to hold everything together and maybe

11:12he's going to thrive in that adversity like they did in 2007 after spygate hit they lose a game until the Super Bowl when spygate to got dropped on them the Friday before the game and they ultimately lost the Giants so maybe this is going to be good for the football team us against the world mentality us against our own university and the lawyers who have been hired to investigate plenty of lawyers getting plenty of money from the game. The ongoing saga between LSU and the SEC last night Louisiana judge converted temporary restraining order into an injunction allowing more than 40 athletes another year of eligibility this all comes from the NCAA's clumsy attempt to add a fifth year to give a fifth year and to refuse to provide it retroactively. We're going to do a fifth year starting now what about the people that just finished their fourth year screw them.

12:15You only get a fifth year if you're entering your fourth year you don't get a fifth year if you've already had a fourth year and if you've made business decisions with your life and you've moved on to other things we're not going to let you come back for the fifth year that we are going to give everybody who is still here. It's all been caused by the NCAA all the chaos we have witnessed for the past five years is caused by the NCAA hate the game not the player the players are the ones who are making business decisions based upon these circumstances and especially if you've allegedly been instigated by LSU and Lane Kiffin to file the lawsuit and that's basically what's been alleged by the SEC in the lawsuit. I'm not going to do that in federal court in Alabama yesterday. Why not do what you have to do to try to get another year of NIL money from playing college football. I can't blame any of the players for this. But they want us to they want us to get on a soapbox and say oh you're a professional player. Well your professional player college now too. That's the bullshit that is embedded in all of this this entire argument.

13:24So the professional football players in college football well then you better cut everybody from the team. Yeah but Mike I'll tell you that it's I find it I'm laughing because it's so amusing. The things that we've come to accept in college football and this is hard for me to accept. I've accepted a lot of things. I've accepted that the Big 10 has 18 schools. I've accepted that the Big 10, that was, okay, I've accepted that. I've accepted that the Big 10 that was rooted in the Midwest, now includes Oregon and Washington and UCLA and USC. I've accepted that. I've accepted NIL. I'm happy for the players. And that somebody did a story, I wish I could give credit. But I just remember seeing it, the cost of each position in college football, this is a few weeks ago, and just your average quarterback in college football, what it will cost you. And that did every position kicker, punner, long snapper,

14:26that going down in every position in Big Time College football, especially the primary positions will cost you millions of dollars. Okay, that's fine. College football players are getting paid. It's hard for me to accept, Mike, that somebody has left campus, gone on to a professional training camp, has participated in training camp, and then it's allowed to come back to campus. Okay, now we've gone too far. Now, and I guess I am, am I blaming the kids? No, the system, I feel like the NCAA should have the common sense to close that loophole. I want everybody, I don't begrudge anybody getting money, I always want people to get money, everybody. All right, get as much as you can. But after you leave college and go to the pros, and then go back to college, okay, I just, that's hard for me to reconcile. Okay, let me try.

15:27Let me try. First of all, and as I said, the NCAA created this mess by not adopting this rule soon enough for the people who had finished their fourth year, and would have had a fifth available to decide then and there, I'm going to stay in school for another year. The guys who were coming back to LSU, and whoever else may end up wherever else, they went to the NFL because the door was shut, and the NCAA wrongfully shut it, that's why they're winning these cases. You know you're going to add this fifth year, give the fifth year to the people who are already there, give them an opportunity, what's the harm? You're going to give a fifth year to everybody moving forward. Why do these people from the class of 2022 not get a fifth year? And they weren't on an actual regular season roster. They were part of the cannon fodder, the 90 man roster, off season training camp preseason.

16:28They weren't really on the team. They were just helping take up the snaps to justify the full price charge for the preseason tickets, and the money they get from the networks for people wearing NFL uniforms. They're not NFL players until they make the 53 man roster in this quote from the SEC. SEC President and Chancellors unanimously adopted a clear and reasonable standard. Member university should not place former professional athletes on their rosters. You have current professional athletes on your rosters. That is the thing that I can't be the only human being on the planet that sees this and says they're professional athletes already. They are playing, they're getting paid. They're professional athletes employed by the schools for whom they play. So don't hide behind this ridiculous notion that we can't have professional athletes infiltrating our campuses. You already do because you could no longer refuse to pay them.

17:31I'll give you one last thing too. I'm very anxious to see what Nick Sabin has to say about this because Michael Holly. And I'm giving him fair notice now. Nick Sabin, if you're out there, my West Virginia fellow native. If you're out there, be careful what you say tomorrow on game day. Because if you get on your soapbox about NFL players coming back to college, here's what I'm going to point out. I'm going to point out that back in the teens 2015, 2016. At a time when Trent Richardson's NFL career had pretty much flamed out and he was looking to establish himself. Sabin brought Trent Richardson back to play scout team running back at practice. Professional player back on campus practicing against college players. So be careful what you say Nick fair notice fair warning. And I feel compelled to give that because my wife doesn't like it when I criticize.

18:36Sabin because she thinks he should get the West Virginia privilege. And I feel like that's the kind of courtesy because we're both from West Virginia. But be careful. I'm going to I'm going to dust that article off. I'm going to I'm going to copy paste snarky comment my own content. If he takes that stand. So Michael, they're already professional athletes. They're all this is all about this is all about the SEC doesn't want lane kiffin to be able to go out and use this path to make his his team stronger. Well, it do you say it or if you say they're already professional athletes now I say they're college athletes who are getting the money that they deserve. But do you throw that out that it's not college football that is it's professional football by a different name. So it is professional football. It is for those who are three years out of high school and below.

19:38And then there's the other professional football where you are you are you are beyond your three years out of high school and now eligible. So at 22 let's say it's 21 and over professional football on the NFL and 21 and under professional football and college. Do you look at it that way I don't let's say if you look at it that way then there's no difference. Here's the key. I'm going to try to land the plane here. I'm going to try to land the plane here at a moment where we need to break because on in bed better than they did last year going to be they're going to be pedal pedal pedal. Coast coast coast pedal pedal pedal crash maybe coming up on the well top. I spun yet Michael look at it this way very simple we can boil it down to this. Dayquan right. Is it going to make more money than he would have made on an NFL practice squad which is the best he could have hoped for is he going to make more money or less money in LSU.

20:44Is he going to make more or less more. So what are we doing what are we doing here. As the great Jason Garrett would say what are we doing here they're all professional athletes and he's going to get paid even more at LSU. Then he would have gotten paid if he had stayed in the NFL. We take a break for those of you on NBCSN enjoy of well to I Spain on peacock will be right back. I don't BS when I say it or I'm you know like New York is still a special place. A game in my first opportunity is I had coach. Our desire to win week one is beat the Jets is because it's we want and nothing more. Forever grateful for all the opportunity they gave I don't hold I don't hold grudges. Robert Salah talking about his first game with the Titans against the team that entered the NFL as the Titans.

21:48Actually wasn't the NFL it was the AFL as the Titans they were the New York Titans for a few years before they became the New York Jets. And we're setting this up as a BS meter on a scale of one to 10. How smelly is the pile of what Robert Salah said I'm going to go ahead and say it's a 15. Yeah I don't hold grudges 15. He wants nothing more to shove this one in a very delicate area for Woody Johnson the owner of the team guaranteed. Listen you're going to give it a 15 give me the over. Okay I'll take the over give me give me 15.25 really it's not a fluo it's not like he said. It's not like we're talking about Robert Salah who was the head coach of the remember away back in the day when Robert Salah was the head coach of the Jets.

22:58He was just the head coach of the Jets a couple of years ago. Yeah they gave you your first opportunity I'm sure you're grateful for that. But the reason you hold grudges is because they gave you your first opportunity and they kind of set you up to fail in a lot of ways. And they pinned a lot of things on you that are very dysfunctional and very jet like. And so your your your fortunes get that second opportunity no thanks to the Jets of course of course he holds grudges of course he wants this one. He wants to be able but to fly into Lee Harvey Oswald Oswald Airport one day and say you know what I beat you guys. I beat you guys I got my win over the Jets. I I agree entirely it was just two years ago not even two years. He was fired summarily after a loss in London embarrassed Woody Johnson because he was the ambassador to the UK.

24:00They had a team that could have been good enough to get to the playoffs but that disrupted everything and it all fell apart. It's too early it was too early to make the change they made the change and I guarantee you he holds a grudge. Here's Patrick Mahomes we have one more item for the BS meter Patrick Mahomes from this week's chiefs kick off luncheon regarding his possible return to play week one against the Broncos. I think it's just the bad taste that we have from last season you know I didn't go the way we wanted to coach re talked about that but we learned from him. We've gotten better and I've worked to get to this point right here to be ready to go for the season and just as hungry as I am it's as hungry as everybody in this audience. I mean we're going to go out there with the mindset that we're going to be the new version of the cheese because I think Dom made the same way the only one did. Okay as it relates to the proposition that the chiefs will be as dominant as previous teams that's the subject for the BS meter as relates to whether or not Patrick Mahomes is telling the truth I mean he believes it.

25:13The old George Costanza line it's not a lie if you believe it he believes it is the accurate we're not saying he was telling us something other than what he truly believes he would pass. A lie detector test the question is does the assertion hold water so give me the one to ten number that in your opinion that assertion that there'll be as dominant as they've been in the past is if you go low not is if you go high BS. Mike I will tell you that if anybody else on the chief says that I'm including Andy Reed Chris Jones Travis Kelsey if anybody else on the chief says it I'm giving it an eight because I think they are in decline in a lot of areas or in decline or just having to have ascending players who haven't even started to ascend at a reliable point yet.

26:17Patrick Mahomes said it so I'm going to give it a five because I still have so much respect for Patrick Mahomes and I think well could they if he comes back and if he's able to do Mahomes things could he carry a team to a point where I don't think it has any place it doesn't have any right to be but because it's Mahomes. Yes I'm going to give it a five. I'll agree with you and I'm too damn tired to try to come up with a number other than five. I I think he's in the best position to know how things feel in comparison to the other additions of the chiefs that he has been on before last year their worst finish in his entire time as a starter was losing in overtime of the AFC championship. That was his floor so he knows what he's dealing with he knows how he feels he knows this team I think that that he yeah he believes it yes and I think five is a good middle of the road are they capable of it let's see but he's got me thinking that maybe they are and I think a lot of people sleep it on the chiefs it's easy to do that because we had chiefs

27:41fatigue I think we we're more quick to embrace the demise of the chiefs because we've gotten sick of the chiefs not we us not just you there was that sense football fans had enough give one of the other kids a turn please please let one of the other kids play in a super bowl please you got Josh Allen who would like to play you got Joe burrow that would like to play you got Lamar Jackson that would like to play all Drake maize the one that took his turn well all the more reason to give one of the other kids a turn Patrick you've had your chances that's what I think is influencing our mindset all right we need to take a break we'll have more BFT live right after this Friday edition of PFT live so Ryan Pagan netty who had been an analytics coach with the Eagles the Jeff Jaguars and the Raiders he had detected something the Patriots had been doing as relates to the video boards that are in the field of vision of kickers who are attempting field goals

28:54when the Patriots kick there's nothing when the opposing team kicks there is an image reverse image of the play with four goal posts in vision and if it's windy the flags are blowing is all in opposite directions and again this is something that the opposing kickers have to deal with that's a hell of a distraction that is a hell of a distraction Michael that is really is and I think like a lot of like a lot of inventions they begin almost these genius inventions is accidental oh you mean oh that's what we can do all right because the story is Stephen Kaskowski they did it they used to do it for their former kicker I mean they're former kicker Stephen Kaskowski he was on team good kicker and he went to the team and said you know this thing is I don't like this background it really is distracting to me

30:06so that's why they changed it but of course classic billbellicick is like well wait a minute you said that distracted you why is that distracting to you oh all right so this is a problem so we will we will be compliant both into the field when it's our guy we'll put that still image up there that's totally that's that's the spirit of the rule and when it's their guy we'll steer we'll push it and we'll put a reverse image up it's it's not necessarily the spirit of the rule but it's legal so that's how they came up with the idea that hey we'll do this for the opposing kicker because it really bothers people now in a lot of clips that I saw we saw Harrison Bucker there even with that reverse image he comes down nails it not a problem so I think some kickers they get into such a routine they're not going to be thrown off by it but if you don't have a top tier kicker yet throw them off

31:10and it is legal Brian McCarthy NFL spokesman told Ben Volano the Boston Globe it's legal it was it still is Arnie Adams the Savod who was in charge of everything even though no one knew exactly what he was in charge of he loves the fact that they're still inside people's heads all these years later this wasn't anything that was devised it was accidental as you said but once they recognize there was a way to turn into advantage they did and that epitomizes the Patriots dynasties both of them they knew how to take every incremental advantage you know I was saying this the other day on pftpm so much of the outcome of an NFL game comes down to stuff that you can't control the more you can see it's not a problem you can't stop tiny advantages in your favor you can overcome the things you can't control that otherwise would have caused you to lose Yeah I agree with that and I just want to I want to point out you know you mentioned Arnie Adams he's not a high school football coach at his alma mater aware he and Bill Bellachek met a leap private school in Massachusetts so he's not there football coach there

32:26So he's not their football coach there. But one of the things about Ernie, he had a lot of ideas, but all of them didn't work, but he would throw a lot of stuff out there, and when they hit on something, they really, as you pointed out, they tried to exploit it. I remember one game, Mike, this is after so we know the Tuck Rule game in 2001, and they no longer have the Tuck Rule, because I think that was a fumble, but they didn't call it a fumble. So after that game in 2001, Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl. The next year, 2002, they go out to Oakland for the rematch, and Ernie Adams had an idea, and he told Bella, I know exactly what they're doing. All the players had wristbands. I know what their signals, the raiders were holding up cards with colors. So hey, Greenman and Ernie felt like he decoded the cards. Hey, Green means this, Red means that,

33:31I got it, and they were so excited, and oh, this is brilliant Ernie. Mike, they got their asses kicked. He was totally wrong. All the codes were wrong. The raiders played them and just dominated. So look, as much credit as we give Bella checking Adams for some of their ingenuity, there were times where they were just way off. They thought they had some brilliant game plan, and it just didn't work out. The ultimate example though, Ernie Adams finding that play, that alignment, that formation, the Seahawks use, with the four receivers shotgun formation, and had them ready for the play that made the difference between winning the Super Bowl and losing the Super Bowl. In one fell swoop, the preparation, the reps, having Malcolm Butler ready to go, Brandon Brown, the unsung hero of that play from preventing the pick of Malcolm Butler,

34:35because they saw it was coming and they were ready for it. So, all right, we need to take a break. Mark Sanchez resolving one, if not both of his pending legal issues from a bad night in Indianapolis, that's next on PFT Live. PFT Live Thursday edition, before we get back to business, I do want to say that this show has already had in fact on the, did I say Thursday? Friday. Yes. I'm sorry. It feels like Thursday. When you, I haven't philosophical question, when you never really sleep on Thursday, this Thursday, ever really end. No, I don't know. No, it doesn't. So, no, so we are already having an impact on the airline industry. I've gotten an email from a pilot who was flown into JFK many times,

35:36and he says he will now never be able to refer to it as anything other than LHO. Maybe that's how we change the name. We don't need a petition. We just, you know, like, if enough people say irregardless, then irregardless officially becomes a word. Miriam Webster just throws his or her hands in the air and says, fine, we'll make it a word. It's not a word, but everybody's saying it fine. So if we just all start calling JFK LHO, starting with the pilots, maybe we'll get there. Here's hope. Yes. Yes, it will work. Just unofficial. So unofficial, then it will become a petition. There is no proper segue. So we will just pivot to the news that we said we'd be talking about. Here, Mark Sanchez was due to stand trial on criminal charges next Tuesday. It had gotten very quiet, and I had forgotten to write that the trial was on tap for next Tuesday, and it has been very quiet,

36:37and that often may mean that they're talking. Well, they reached the resolution pursuant to which Mark Sanchez will plead guilty. Now they haven't announced the charges he's pleading guilty to, but he's done a plea deal. That's very common in criminal cases. It all arises from the fight between him and a 69 year old guy who is skinnier than me, truck driver, who was at a hotel in Indianapolis to swap out the used grease from the fryer. Sanchez allegedly said, you can't park your truck there to which the guy presumably said, what? And it all went downhill from there. So they had video cameras all over the place. Look, Sanchez was dead to rights on this one. They never questioned the guy stabbed him. The guy stabbed him three times, and they never charged the guy. They never questioned his account. You got six foot three inch professional athlete

37:41in his 30s. You got 69 year old truck driver that doesn't weigh but a Bucco five. You're not going to conclude that he was chasing Mark Sanchez around with a knife. So this was always going to end badly for Sanchez. It'll just be interesting to see whether or not he has to do jail time for this. You know, is it? Is he going to? Yeah, it might say if he did, I bet it most it's going to be house arrest and most it'll be house arrest. He's not doing hard time in Indianapolis, but it'll be interesting to see what the outcome is. Mike, I think your instincts are correct because if you read the statements from both sides, it's almost like they're on the same side. They're so positive. This is constructive. This is a positive development. We're satisfied with this. This we have momentum toward a deal. And so yeah, I think there is some agreement where if the

38:45Sanchez side says this is a good thing. They've agreed to something that may keep him out of jail or it's a very minimum sentence. It's a lot worse. It's a lot better than what it could have been for Sanchez. That's what I'm as you read between the lines, you kind of get that feeling. There are two independent tracks of the justice system. Criminal and civil. And sometimes the resolution of the civil case will dramatically influence the attitude of the victim in the criminal case. And in many cases, the prosecutor takes his or her lead from the victim. If the victim is saying, I want this taken all the way through to the end, prosecutors more likely to do it. If the victim is placated by, for example, a sizable settlement of the civil case, then we're willing to allow him to plea to a charge that doesn't entail jail.

39:45Time but you're right. The statements are all very positive. They're working on a settlement of the civil case. And it looks like this whole thing is going to go away less than a year after it got started. We're going to take a break. We'll wrap up this Friday edition of PFT Live right after this. I'm here. You know, I'm not really thinking about that. I haven't talked to my agent about that in the minute. Honestly, since the day one of camp, you know, I just been preparing, trying to prepare myself to be, you know, the backup for down you. And I got granted that today. So that's my main focus. And I'm trying to make sure I can just elevate myself. So guys willing, my name and number is called. I could buy them for fun. Wild ride for the Colts and quarterback Anthony Richardson. Fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft. He had been benched during a season. He lost the quarterback competition last year to Daniel Jones. Had that freak accident in the locker room before a game where an exercise band snapped. He got

40:48hit in the eye with a weight fractured orbital bone. And he was in danger of falling all the way to number three on the depth chart in the off season. He wanted to be traded. He just couldn't work out a trade with anyone. So at a time when it felt like his career was possibly on the brink, he beat out Riley Leonard to beat the backup quarterback to Daniel Jones. That's good news for Anthony Richardson. And he's in a contract year. He may he. Hey, we're talking about Daniel Jones too. Guy who has had many an injury. There's a chance that Anthony Richardson is going to play at some point this season, Michael. Look, Mike, I'm happy for Anthony Richardson. I've ruined form. I really do. I think he really carried himself well in that interview. His perspective on you saying, yeah, I'm happy. I was I'm I'm privileged to be able to help this team as a number two quarterback. It's a mature. It's a maturity from him. And I think he's got a world of ability.

41:49Still only 24 years old. So I don't think the chapter is closed on Anthony Richardson. Maybe it's closed there in Indianapolis. But I think he still has some good football left in him. I really like him. The key and the message. Get your reps in college. If you've got additional eligibility, take advantage of it, especially if you're a quarterback. Sue, if you have to, to go back and play for Lane Kiffin and LSU, those games that you play at the college level, especially a quarterback are going to help you. He just was too raw and he hasn't gotten the reps yet. And maybe he'll get a chance this year. Have a safe and productive and happy Labor Day weekend. See you back here on Tuesday.