Show Me the Money

by | Sep 29, 2016 | Uncategorized |

We are three weeks into the NFL season and the Philadelphia Eagles still have not lost. You read that right. The Birds are 3-0 and that is due in large part to rookie sensation Carson Wentz.

The recent draftee was slated to be the team’s third-string quarterback and would likely have sat out the entire year. But injuries (particularly to Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, which sent Eagles’ previous starter Sam Bradford packing for Minnesota) thrust the untested QB into the starting role. So far, so good. On this week’s podcast I discuss Wentz’s raw talent, coaching, Vegas and more.

In my latest unprompted rant, I took issue with Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt’s back injury and his likely too-early return to the playing field. Last week in The CBA at Halfway, Part I and on “The Business of Sports” podcast, I, along with the NFL’s vice president of player health and safety, Jeff Miller, discussed the change in culture regarding concussions and how players are starting to move away from “play through the pain” mentality. Shouldn’t that apply to all injuries? Should the Texans’ coaches or medical staff have kept him out longer? Watch the full rant at the top of this week’s column for The MMQB.

Finally, this week I wrapped up my two-part series on the NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement – an agreement that we are now halfway through. The team owners headed into negotiations with one thing in mind: their pay day. After enjoying the “Brandt’s Rants” clip, check out my rest of the column for a financial breakdown of the 2011 CBA and my thoughts on owners possibly scheming players out of billions of dollars.