The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
Episodes
Monday Mailbag: The dustbin of history, coaches getting over the hump, and the idea of identity
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We've got ourselves another loaded mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. Among the questions answered by Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik ...
The sneakily fun 2026 WR draft class
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There may not be a true ace in this year's wide receiver draft class, but that doesn't mean it's short on talent or intrigue. After all, six of Dane B...
Three questions about the 2026 QB draft class
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is one of the stranger quarterback draft classes we've seen in some time. There's a legitimate top-of-the-draft prospect, a 23-year-old with limi...
Building the Beast: Why defensive backs are the crown jewel of the 2026 NFL Draft class
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Beast isn't out for another week or so, but we'll spoil one thing for you...you're going to see a lot of defensive backs in the top 50. Like, A LO...
On the Clock, 2026 NFL Draft picks 7-12: Jeremiyah Love's still here...but not for long
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Here we are for episode two of this season's On the Clock and th—whoa, wait. Jeremiyah Love is still out there? He didn't get taken by the Cardinals...
Monday Mailbag: The peak of fandom, breaking losing cycles, Bill and Ted for the NFL, and more
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We opened up the TAFS mailbag, and ohhhh buddy did we find some great stuff in there? Like, when during a person's life is their fandom at its peak en...
Which outliers in the 2026 class are worth drafting?
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This draft class is a bit unlike most draft classes. We've got off-ball linebackers, safeties and a running back expected to come off the board toward...
Who has the most at stake in the 2026 NFL Draft?
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The NFL Draft matters to all 32 teams, all 32 GMs, all 32 head coaches and, in some form or fashion, every single player in the league. Any individual...
Building the Beast: Tight end draft class breakdown
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You know the final courtroom scene in My Cousin Vinny when Joe Pesci says "Watch this," and then Marisa Tomei just rattles off the most obscure facts ...
On the Clock, 2026 NFL Draft picks one through six: Certainty at the very top, and then...
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the 2026 debut of On the Clock, The Athletic Football Show's annual draft exercise. Every week, a draft analyst will join Robert Mays to co...
Mailbag: Are Rookie Contracts TOO IMPORTANT To Team Building?
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The TAFS Mailbag rolls along this offseason. This post-free agency episode brings questions about the Tennessee Titans draft strategy, the best coachi...
An Idiot's GUIDE to the 2026 NFL Draft
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We didn't say Robert Mays is an idiot. He said it himself! At least when it comes to the NFL Draft class at this stage of the calendar. Dane Brugler a...
Lingering questions with the free agency dust settled
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Free agency is, for all intents and purposes, over. Sure, meaningful players like Jauan Jennings and Taylor Decker are still out there, but the vast m...
Building the Beast: How free agency affected the 2026 NFL Draft
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hey, the Chiefs and Saints both need running backs, they could both be potential landing spots for Jeremiyah Love! Ope, guess again. Hey, the Rams nee...
NEWS: Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Broncos mostly sat out the free agency frenzy last week, but they finally made their presence felt with a huge trade for Jaylen Waddle. What does ...
How much better—or worse—is each NFC team after the first wave of free agency?
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most of this year's free agent class is now spoken for, and all 32 teams in the league have made the biggest move they'll make, outside of the draft. ...
How much better—or worse—is each AFC team after the first wave of free agency?
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most of this year's free agent class is now spoken for, and all 32 teams in the league have made the biggest move they'll make, outside of the draft. ...
Vikings swing for the fences with Kyler Murray
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This isn't supposed to happen. Teams aren't supposed to be able to sign a 28-year-old quarterback who was a first overall pick and previously been a l...
Free agency wrap: Taking stock of a busy start to the new league year
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A few big names remain on the table, but most of the free agent puzzle pieces have fallen into place. So, what were our favorite signings? What signin...
Free agency day three: Maxximum Chaos
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Remember those couple days where Maxx Crosby was on the Ravens and the Raiders had two extra first-round picks to work with the in the next two drafts...
Free agency day two: Perhaps you can go home again
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Day two of free agency got off to a bit of a slow start, and then the spigot opened up with a firehose attached. Geno Smith is a Jet again. The Patrio...
Free agency day one, part two: The edge and DB markets fall into place
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NFL teams know a thing or two about tampering, and they proved that to us once again with the league's legal tampering window opening up on Monday. On...
Free agency day one, part one: Jaelan Phillips to the Panthers, Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders, Alec Pierce stays in Indy, and more
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
NFL teams know a thing or two about tampering, and they proved that to us once again with the league's legal tampering window opening up on Monday. On...
Ravens Maxx Crosby trade highlights a busy weekend on the eve of free agency
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When we signed off for the weekend on Friday, we said we'd come back before Monday if the news dictated our sooner return. Welp, the news dictated jus...
2026 Free Agent Superlatives: Favorite Fits, Buyer Beware and more
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We are officially on the doorstep of the legal tampering window and thus, the beginning of the 2026 free agency signing period. So, what are our favor...
2026 free agency doppelgängers
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sayings become sayings for a reason. A particular favorite for us here (or at least for the person writing this description)? History does not repeat,...
Strengths and weaknesses of the 2026 free agent class
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Free agency might begin next week, but we already have plenty of player movement news to tackle. The Bears are surprisngly in th emarket for a tackle ...
Free agency mailbag: New staffs, Tyler Linderbaum's catbird seat, the cap space tipping point, and more
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're all free agency, all the time over the next two weeks on The Athletic Football Show. And what better way to kick that off than with your questio...
Takeaways from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Another combine is in the books, and with its closing comes another set of results that will affect the upcoming NFL Draft. Among them? Hello, Sonny S...
The Jets-Titans trade, the Malik Willis market, and the rest of the news from combine week
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We wrap up our week at the combine with a look at the biggest actual news that happened while the entire NFL world was in Indianapolis. Robert Mays, D...
The most interesting teams of the offseason, part 3: Bengals, Ravens and Eagles
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We wrap up our combine beat writer series with three teams that suffered through various levels of disappointing seasons in 2025. First, Paul Dehner J...
The most interesting teams of the offseason, part 2: Chiefs, Vikings and Colts
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Chiefs of recent vintage haven't been among the most interesting teams of the offseason because their offseasons have been, "Alright, Pat, let's r...
The Chargers, Commanders and Steelers kick off the annual TAFS Most Interesting Teams of the Offseason Series
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Combine week brings together the entirety of NFL media, including The Athletic Football Show crew and The Athletic NFL beat writers. That's all the ex...
What matters and what doesn't at the combine
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The annual NFL Scouting Combine is part NFL convention, part week-long networking event, part exercise in backchannel communication, and part job fair...
From the Vikings to the Jets, assessing the open QB situations
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eight or so teams enter the 2026 NFL season with an open quarterback situation, depending on your definition of "open." Which one of those is the best...
The TAFS mailbag is back!
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're into the offseason, which means we're once again checking the mail. The TAFS mailbag returns with more than a few questions about what we can le...
Biggest questions of the 2026 NFL offseason
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The next season effectively begins the moment the previous season ends, and with that new season comes a whole new set of questions. Such as, what hap...
One last ride on this year's coaching carousel
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The wildest coaching carousel any of us can remember finally stopped spinning when the Raiders officially named former Seahawks offensive coordinator ...
Building the Beast: Dane Brugler's updated Top 100
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Seahawks are Super Bowl LX Champions, that's cool. It's also old news. It's 2026 NFL Draft time! And what better way to kick off...
Super Bowl LX Recap: Seahawks ride dominant defense to 29-13 win over Patriots, franchise's second title
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Any short list of the best stories in the NFL this season would have to include the Seattle Seahawks' dominant defense, Sam Darnold's full redemption,...
Super Bowl LX Preview
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It all started back on September 4, 2025, with the Eagles squeaking out a 24-20 win over the Cowboys. It ends on Sunday, five months and 284 games lat...
From XLIX to LX: How the league has changed since the last Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eleven years ago, the Patriots and Seahawks met in one of the most iconic Super Bowls of all-time. Those two teams seemed to define the league back th...
The Super Bowl LX characters who changed their stories this season
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Super Bowl is a story in so many ways. The game is, of course, a story unto itself. It also acts as a capstone for the story of the current NFL se...
The Patriots' one-season about-face meets the Seahawks' ruthless climb to the top of the league in Super Bowl LX
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The last Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl matchup was anything but a surprise. The Seahawks were reigning Super Bowl Champions, and the Patriots were comi...
Building the Beast Senior Bowl Recap: Winners, takeaways, and effects on the draft
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
College football's all-star game season has come to an end, with the Senior Bowl now in the rear-view mirror. Who were the big winners from the week? ...
The coaching cycle that just won't quit
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There are coaching cycles and then there are COACHING CYCLES. Somehow, Black Monday wasn't even a month ago, but it feels like it was three years ago....
Lessons learned from this season's conference title game participants
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The NFL may be a copycat league, but it's not like the 28 teams that fell short of Conference Championship weekend can just look at the Seahawks, Rams...
Building the Beast: Who's turning heads at the Senior Bowl?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're certainly in the heart of S. Bowl season. For most of us, that refers to the Super Bowl. For Dane Brugler, though? In that case, you're referrin...
What's next for the Rams and Broncos after falling just short of the Super Bowl?
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Description: Dan Campbell said it best after the Lions lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game after the 2023 season. "This may have been our o...
Conference Championship Games Recap: Patriots and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl LX
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New England Patriots. Seattle Seahawks. Super Bowl LX. Meet us in San Francisco. But before that, join Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman as...
Conference Championship Sunday Preview: Rams-Seahawks III meets the rise of the Broncos and Patriots
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Championship Weekend is upon us. On one side, we get a matchup that feels historically familiar, but no one predicted this year when the Patriots and ...
The duality of this cycle's coaching hires, and the moves still to come, with Jourdan Rodrigue
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly every coaching hire looks fine on paper. Many of them look good. Great, even! But we know not all of them turn out great or good or even fine. ...
Building the Beast: Shrine Bowl preview and CFP National Championship Game takeaways
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The end of the college football season is something of a starting bell for NFL Draft season, and the annual all-star games get everything going. It be...
Divisional Round losers postmortem: What's next for Bills, 49ers, Texans and Bears?
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you're one of the last eight teams playing football in a season, that final loss is hard to swallow. No matter how bright the future appears, the...
NEWS: Bills fire Sean McDermott
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Buffalo Bills were great during Sean McDermott's nine-year run as coach, but not quite great enough. As such, the team relieved him of his duties ...
Divisional Round Sunday Recap: Patriots handle Texans, Rams outlast Bears in OT
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
And then there were four. The Conference Championship games are set. Joining the Denver Broncos in the AFC are the New England Patriots after taking c...
Divisional Saturday Recap: Broncos win but lose Bo Nix, Seahawks rout 49ers
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Divisional Round weekend never disappoints. The Seattle Seahawks turned in the most dominant performance of the day - maybe of the entire postseason -...
Divisional Round Preview: The best weekend of the NFL season
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Four games, eight teams, all with legitimate designs on winning the Super Bowl. Friends, the best weekend of the NFL season is here. Robert Mays, Derr...
The jam-packed 2026 coaching carousel: It goes up and down, and around
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When we last checked in on the coaching carousel on Black Monday, it seemed like it could actually be a relatively quiet year for coaching moves. Sinc...
Building the Beast: Did they stay or did they go now?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're on the doorstep of the NFL Draft declaration deadline, and most of the big dominos have fallen. One big one, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, rem...
NEWS: Mike Tomlin steps down as Steelers head coach after 19 seasons
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After 19 years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers—a run that included one Super Bowl Championship, two AFC titles, and eight AFC North crowns—...
Postmortems for Wild Card Round losers
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Five teams saw their seasons come to an end on Saturday and Sunday of Wild Card weekend. Where do they all stand as they start to turn the page to 202...
Texans defense rolls over Steelers, leads team to Divisional Round
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We've been talking about the Super Bowl potential of the Houston Texans defense for months, especially in a wide open AFC. That was on full display in...
Wild Card Sunday Recap: Bills outlast Jaguars, 49ers take down Eagles, Patriots stifle Chargers
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wild Card Saturday was one of the most exciting days of the season to date, and Wild Card Sunday proved to be a worthy encore. Here's a stat...Hunter ...
Saturday Recap: Rams and Bears Leave With Clutch Wins
11 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the first games of the 2026 playoffs. Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears take down the Green Bay P...
Wild Card Sunday and Monday Preview
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The AFC has long been the quarterback conference, and that hasn't necessarily changed just because Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow aren'...
Wild Card Saturday Preview: Rams-Panthers and Packers-Bears
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Saturday with the two games that occupy opposite poles in the round. First up is Rams-Panthers, where the Rams are 10-p...
Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford? It's the TAFS 2025 Awards Show!
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The regular season is over and the playoffs have yet to start. It's time to hand out some hardware. Are the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year...
Building the Beast: 2026 NFL Draft order takeaways and Dane Brugler's All-Rookie team
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, the NFL playoff field is set. Cool. You know what's really cool, though? The top 18 of the 2026 NFL Draft order being locked in place. At least ...
NEWS: Ravens Fire John Harbaugh
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh. Robert Mays and Dave Helman break down the news and react to what's next for Lamar Jackson, ...
Black Monday fallout: Four teams turn over a new coaching leaf
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Another Black Monday has hit the NFL, and with it came plenty of expected news. Raheem Morris out in Atlanta. Pete Carroll out in Las Vegas. Jonathan ...
Week 18 Recap: Seahawks and Broncos lock up top seeds, Panthers back into playoffs, and more
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Week 18 had a little bit of everything, as far as stakes are concerned. A game for the 1-seed in the NFC? Check. Winner-take-all divisional matchups? ...
Week 18 Preview: Three division titles on the line, including Seahawks-49ers for all the NFC marbles
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It'd be easy to sit here and complain about the lack of juice in Week 18. We're not going to do that. We've got Seahawks-49ers for the 1-seed in the N...
Silver linings for 2025's bad teams
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Look, not everyone can win the Super Bowl. Or make the playoffs. Or win at least five games. But even if you're a fan of one of those bad teams, there...
Building the Beast: The NFL Draft prospects with the most at stake in the CFP quarterfinals
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The CFP quarterfinals take place on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and the eight teams remaining are absolutely loaded with NFL talent. So, who am...
Why did these eight teams flop in 2025?
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Lions, Chiefs and Ravens entered the 2025 season among the inner-circle Super Bowl favorites. The Lions and Chiefs were eliminated from playoff co...
Week 17 Recap: 49ers win thriller over Bears, Eagles outlast Bills, Drake Maye dazzles, and more
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Week 17 was all about the upstarts that have defined this season. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears gave us a game of the year candidate, with...
Week 17 Preview: Massive division title and playoff seeding stakes on the line
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eleven of 14 playoff berths have already been claimed this season, and one that remains up for grabs—the final Wild Card in the AFC—all but belong...
Week 16 Hangover: Bills and Texans get necessary, but unconvincing, wins over bad teams
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Bills and Texans both appear ticketed for the playoffs, but neither exactly covered itself in glory in Week 16 wins over the Browns and Raiders, r...
Week 16 Recap: Bears stun Packers, Jaguars throttle Broncos, Panthers take NFC South lead, and more
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're just two weeks away from the end of the regular season, and exactly one team that won its division last year is in first place this year. That w...
Week 16 Preview: Unlikely AFC division leaders step into the spotlight
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jaguars-Broncos is the Game of the Week. Patriots-Ravens is another game of the week, and it's the former that is leading its division as the latter f...
The strongest analytic and schematic trends of 2025, with Sam Schwartzstein
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every NFL season brings us some sort of advance in analytics and schematics, and spending some time every December looking back at this season's devel...
Building the Beast: Alabama/Oklahoma and Miami/Texas A&M loaded with NFL Draft talent
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The College Football Playoffs kick off this week, and while the results on the field will understandably dominate the discussion around the games, it'...
The Ravens stay alive, and the 49ers notch their 10th win
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all realize that the 49ers have 10 wins and are a near-lock for the playoffs, right? Has a double-digit-win season ever gone more overlooked? And h...
Week 15 Recap: Broncos quiet doubters, Bills claw back to beat Patriots, and the Chiefs are officially done
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the big stories of the 2025 season is the rise of new contenders and the fall of the traditional powers. We saw the former on Sunday, with the ...
Week 15 Preview: Prove-it time for the Patriots and Broncos
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this particuarly topsy-turvy season, there's perhaps nothing stranger than seeing the Broncos and Patriots on top of the AFC. Both of them in Week ...
Hop aboard the 2026 Coaching Carousel
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The teams heading to the playoffs and putting themselves in the Super Bowl discussion are, understandably, in the NFL spotlight right now. Before long...
The effects of Fernando Mendoza's rise and Notre Dame's fall on the 2026 NFL Draft
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
College Football Playoff controversy? What College Football Playoff controversy? You won't find any of that here on this episode of Building the Beast...
Week 14 Hangover: Hunting for relevant 2026 needles in the 2025 haystack for four also-rans
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Vikings, Commanders, Titans and Browns have dealt with varying degrees of disappointment this season, but they remain worthy of our attention as w...
Week 14 Recap: Bears-Packers delivers, Jaguars and Steelers make big moves, and holy cow, Josh Allen
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you caught the Week 14 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show, you know we were excited about this Sunday. Bears-Packers, Colts-Jaguars, Tex...
Week 14 Preview: Bears-Packers finally means something again
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a ton of fun anytime you get a game with first place on the line this late in the season. This week, we have three such games. And one of them ...
What happened to the NFL's elite?
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and Lions; Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and Lions. Look back over the last half-decade of the NFL, and you'll see those four teams at...
Building the Beast: Dane Brugler's end-of-season mock draft
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's December. The college football regular season is over. It's Mock Draft Season. Dane Brugler's end-of-season mock draft is now live at The Athleti...
Week 13 Hangover: Division-leading Broncos and Buccaneers get wins, and we get in the muck with Saints-Dolphins
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn't always have to be pretty, especially when you're stacking wins. The Broncos and Buccaneers can tell themselves that after picking up victor...
Week 13 Recap: Division races heat up as the season heads into December
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
December has arrived, and there isn't much more separation among teams at the top of their divisions as there was back when everyone was 0-0. Three di...
Week 13 Sunday Preview: Texans-Colts, Bills-Steelers and a series of Don't-Step-on-the-Rake Games
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With Thanksgiving Day now behind us, it's time to get to the rest of the Week 13 slate. Believe it or not, the AFC South is still very much up for gra...
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Preview: A Football Feast!
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've been a football fan for any meaningful amount of time, you know that great games on the Thanksgiving Day slate isn't a guarantee. That's wha...
Building the Beast: NFL Draft prospects to watch in Rivalry Week
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rivalry Week always has, and always will, mean so many things in the college football world. One of the newer elements of Rivalry Week, though, is tha...
Week 12 Hangover: The Seahawks and Patriots escape with road wins, Cam Ward is good, and JSN is a one-of-one player
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every contender needs to win a game or two on the road when they aren't necessarily at their best. That goes doubly so for surprise contenders like, s...
Week 12 Recap: Cowboys stun Eagles, Rams crush Bucs, Chiefs get much-needed win, Ravens take over first in AFC North, and more
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're through two-thirds of the NFL regular season. Thanksgiving Week is here. The beginning of the home stretch has arrived. And yet, do we even have...