Go Long Podcast

History repeats itself. Issues between a quarterback and a wide receiver in Philadelphia are nothing new. Once upon a time, Terrell Owens was protesting in the form of driveway pushups. And the stuff Brian Westbrook was doing at running back? At his peak? Now, all teams seek this breed of playmaker. This hour and a half was a fun ride. On “Real Football” this week, we’re joined by an Eagles great....

Happy July Fourth to all! Hope everyone enjoys a day full of country music, fireworks and a Busch Light or two. Hey, is there a former player you’ve always wanted to meet? A question you’re dying to ask yourself? Let me know and we’ll do everything we can to get that player on a virtual Happy Hour this 2026 season. The mission here — always — is to bring you as close to the sport as we possibly ca...

On Nov. 24, 2015, Stedman Bailey’s life changed forever. He was shot in the head twice. His skull shattered. Blood gushed. The grisly play by play remains forever fresh in his mind. “Like a war zone,” Bailey told me once. “Call of Duty, but you’re really there.” Miraculously, the NFL wide receiver survived. In 2018, I spent a few days with Bailey out in California for a story and he opened up on e...

Heartbreaking news stopped all of us in our tracks this week. Chris Johnson — the breathtaking Tennessee Titans running back — revealed on “Good Morning America” that he has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was diagnosed in 2025 at the age of 39. The disease is progressing rapidly. Johnson communicated during the ABC interview via an eye-tracking, speech-generating device. The entire in...

Football is funny. If Jayden Reed catches that deep crosser on the Green Bay Packers’ final drive vs. Chicago or if Christian Watson goes up with two hands at the goal line to catch a magnificent throw from his quarterback, the conversation around Jordan Love, Matt LaFleur and the 2026 Packers is much different. This wild-card drive had a chance to go down in Packers/NFL lore. It did not. Chicago...

This fan base, like many, was dying for a Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles slayed Tom Brady and the Patriots in 2017, then Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2024. Yet, grace periods last about as long as the taste from a stick of Juicy Fruit gum ‘round here. You didn’t need to turn the volume up on your television to hear boo birds last season. Lest we forget, these Eagles did win the NFC East,...

Forget playing in a game. Chris Manhertz defied the odds by stepping into an NFL building to compete for a spot on a 90-man roster. He was a collegiate basketball at Canisius who didn’t know anything about football. Now, he enters Year 12. The tight end is still a wanted man. He’s got high hopes for these 2026 New York Giants, too. Loved welcoming Manhertz back on the Go Long Pod for this conversa...

The quarterback position is not always royalty. For every Josh Allen talking Super Bowl , there are so many others lost in the wilderness. OTAs and minicamp expose those broken compasses, too. We’ve got a fresh new episode of “Real Football” live for subscribers. I ding record from the excellent Union 32 Craft House in Eagan, Minn. For those new to Go Long, my co-host — Jim Monos — scouted for the...

Hello from blistering Eagan, Minnesota. You know the drill. Every time we visit these Minnesota Vikings, I’ve got to sit down with fellow Substacker Matthew Coller of Purple Insider . Coller takes the lead on our latest pod conversation above. Kevin O’Connell may be conducting a “quarterback competition” between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy but it doesn’t take too much detective skill to see tha...

There’s no high-drama quite like pro football and every high drama needs a villain. That’s why Game of Thrones devolved into steaming garbage the final season. It was not ruthless enough. After a sloppy, injury-plagued 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t quite as loathed at the moment. Could the Los Angeles Rams fill that void? On this week’s episode of Real Football, we discuss the blockbuster tr...

Josh Allen’s arm remains Henry Rowengartner strong. DJ Moore’s route running has been silky smooth in this setting. All of those new defensive pieces are starting to piece together in Jim Leonhard’s defense. OTAs have commenced across the country with minicamps ‘round the bend and training camps closer than you think. I spent some time this week at One Bills Drive for big stuff you’ll see roll out...

Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy are together again. What a difference seven years make, eh? The Pittsburgh Steelers refuse to rebuild, so they’ll roll with a fading great who turns 43 years old this season. McCarthy evolved in Dallas, escaped the Jerry World rot and will try to squeeze a little more magic out of his old QB. He doesn’t need to do this. What an opportunity the coach had to develop s...

New GM. New head coach. New quarterback. Oh, the Miami Dolphins are also eating nearly $200 million in dead money. This is an organization long overdue for such a complete reset. Jon-Eric Sullivan, Jeff Hafley and Malik Willis all travel from frigid Wisconsin to South Florida in an attempt to build something special from scratch. I spent time in Florida on our most recent reporting trip for featur...

Offseason hope tends to get choked out by regular-season realities for the New York Giants. Yet with John Harbaugh, there are tangible reasons for optimism. I chatted with some people inside the building for this recent piece . It sure sounds like Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen are in lockstep — don’t be surprised if contracts get aligned. The two have worked well together. To take a closer look at th...

We are both wearing gray Under Armour shirts. This was not planned. Apologies for the uniformed visual. As it pertains to the prospects of these 2026 Green Bay Packers… our views differ. Always enjoy welcoming on Mike Tanier of Too Deep Zone. This week, Tanier authored a critical look at the Packers — he sees a sharp decline coming. Here at Go Long, we’ve examined the psychology of the the team th...

Sean McVay is happy. Just ask him. Don’t worry about it. See his smile? See? See?! Ah, I always love when a bit of raw honesty makes its way to the podium after a draft pick. Everyone who saw the Los Angeles Rams head coach after the team selected Ty Simpson 13th overall pick could tell he was not well. For Simpson, it’s a best-case scenario. What does this mean for the Rams? And Quarterback Hunti...

A huge thank you to everyone who headed out to Wayland Brewing Company in Orchard Park, NY for this spring’s pre-draft bash. Wings, beers, many football stories. It was a hell of a time. I’ll be sure to schedule more in-person hangouts into the future. Before all festivities, Jim Monos and myself dinged the record button for one more pod ahead of the draft. Video and audio of that replay is above....

Hate being Everyone Won This Trade guy, but I do think this year’s pre-draft blockbuster makes perfect sense for both parties. The Cincinnati Bengals need to fix the league’s saddest defense. Dexter Lawrence could be the piece that gets this team back into the Super Bowl, on the heels of strong free-agent signings . For a team trying to win now, he offers more value than a raw prospect in a draft...

We can’t help ourselves. To those who aren’t on a #warpath for #BetterDays, I apologize. Inevitably, the Buffalo Sabres dominate the first 15 minutes of this podcast. This team is simply too much fun. Eventually, yes, we get into everything Buffalo Bills and NFL Draft with Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. You can read his work here. Always enjoy lobbing questions back ‘n forth with Jay. This episo...

We’re one week away, folks. Soon, mocks become reality. A glorious thing. Here on Real Football — with longtime NFL personnel man Jim Monos — let’s examine prospects we love and hate at the top of the draft, shall we? Be sure to use Bob McGinn’s series as a guide, too. Links are below. His reporting is stellar as always. I’ll take the blue bloods. You cannot go wrong with Caleb Downs and Carnell T...

The draft industrial complex is too often riddled with asbestos. Groupthink settles in, marinates and few analysts are willing to think outside the box in fear of social-media condemnation. Then, there’s Chris Simms. He sincerely does not give a damn. I suppose that’s what happens when the sport itself nearly kills you. What a pleasure to welcome a former Bleacher Report colleague back onto the Go...

Right about now, each spring, NFL teams ask themselves the same question: How soon is too soon to start a rookie quarterback? There’s proof that patience pays off. (Mahomes, Rodgers, Young, etc.) There’s proof that a baptism by fire can work. (Manning, Marino, etc.) Matt Hasselbeck played 18 seasons in the NFL and studies the game extremely closely today. His litmus test is the best I’ve heard yet...

He hates the Chicago Bears. He cannot wait to blast into those who play for the Chicago Bears. But read closely and you’ll see that Javon Bullard is far more critical of his own team, the Green Bay Packers, than a hated rival. Because firsthand, he saw how his team surrendered a playoff game. As he said: “We’re on y’all ass and you’re acting like you motherfuckers don’t even want to play no more....

NFL Draft season is here. For the fourth year, Hall of Fame scribe Bob McGinn is bringing his draft series to our pages — all of which is available to paid subscribers. Part I on the wide receivers is live. At the very top of this year’s draft, those Las Vegas Raiders sure hope they hit the bull’s eye. (It’s been a while.) As we transition from free agency to the draft, I wanted to catch up with a...

Long gone are the days of Super Bowl contenders twiddling their thumbs in March. If you’re not making transactions, you’re not trying. We saw elaborate checks written, blockbuster trades and even one trade reneged at the last second. Nobody can blame GMs for not trying. What does it all mean? Let’s examine on “Real Football” with our resident scout, Jim Monos. DJ Moore to Buffalo. Jaylen Waddle to...