The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

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 show
4:41 Packers
18:42 Saints
28:41 Chargers
38:11 Vikings
44:41 Cardinals
52:59 Patriots
1:05:28 Commanders
1:08:35 Chiefs

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Show

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)
Seahawks 4:52
Falcons 36:22
Commanders 54:25
Ravens 1:20:09

Host: Robert Mays
With: Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall, Nicki Jhabvala, Jeff Zrebiec
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 show
0:53 Jahmyr Gibbs contract and disclaimer
2:48 Bijan Robinson/Jonathan Taylor contracts
8:46 Aaron Donald & Los Angeles Rams official workout
14:32 Jakobi Lane & Baltimore Ravens
18:33 Tylan Wallace nostalgia
19:26 JJ McCarthy vs Kyler Murray
23:56 Frank Smith & Minnesota Vikings run game
27:59 Bud Clark & Seattle Seahawks
32:38 Philadelphia Eagles receivers
35:53 KC Concepcion/Denzel Boston & Cleveland Browns
37:33 Browns trade for Spencer Rattler?
43:00 New Orleans Saints optimism
44:20 Darnell Wright & Chicago Bears contract
48:37 MarShawn Lloyd & Green Bay Packers
50:26 Packers offensive line
52:40 Max Iheanachor & Pittsburgh Steelers
56:18 Dexter Lawrence & Cincinnati Bengals

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 show
5:11 Jaguars
13:20 Giants
25:30 Commanders
25:45 Stefon Diggs news
39:50 Eagles
51:27 Colts
57:16 Bills
1:02:45 Chiefs
1:05:43 Bengals/Cowboys
1:08:30 Broncos
1:10:30 Titans

Accompanied 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/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every season, a handful of players on new teams completely change the way their unit plays. Think of what Talanoa Hufanga did for the Broncos defense and what George Pickens did for the Cowboys offense last year. Those players are DNA changers. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen do their best Crick and Watson and pick out nine potential DNA changers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show
1:44 Bijan Robinson & Atlanta Falcons
2:12 Zay Flowers & Baltimore Ravens
10:27 Jauan Jennings & Minnesota Vikings
17:09 Riq Woolen & Philadelphia Eagles
22:57 Osa Odighizuwa & San Francisco 49ers
27:50 Sauce Gardner & Indianapolis Colts
32:12 Kenny Moore & Colts
33:16 Dre’Mont Jones & New England Patriots
38:42 Jaylen Waddle & Denver Broncos
43:38 Reggie Gilliam & Patriots
49:36 Carnell Tate & Tennessee Titans
54:03 T’Vondre Sweat & New York Jets

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.