NFL Insider Tom Pelissero Talks Steelers, Vikings, Refs Contract, More w/Rich Eisen | Full Interview

0:00 Tom Pelissero here on the Rich Eisen Show.

0:02 Everybody, Tommy P.

0:04 Oh, hoodie day.

0:05 Hoodie Friday.

0:05 It's hoodie Friday.

0:06 Hoodie Friday.

0:07 It's hoodie Tommy, like hoodie Melo.

0:08 I just mean you didn't do an NFL Network hit where

0:11 This This is like one of my only weeks off per year from TV, Rich.

0:15 So, this Quite frankly, this is as dressed up as I have been since last Friday.

0:20 So, great to be with you.

0:22 Great to be with my boys in the studio.

0:23 What's up, fellas?

0:24 Tommy P.

0:25 Tommy P.

0:26 My mom is so happy.

0:27 What up, Tom?

0:30 [snorts]

0:29 My mom loves Tommy P.

0:30 I don't know what he doesn't.

0:32 Every time he's on, she's like, "Tom!"

0:36 Hey.

0:36 Just like Norm walking in and cheers.

0:37 It's Tom P.

0:39 Uh all right.

0:43 [laughter]

0:42 So, uh what's everybody talking about right now?

0:46 Where they're hitting you up or or is

0:47 there less traffic on your phone right now?

0:50 What's everybody hitting you up about?

0:51 There's There is less,

0:52 which is again why this is one of the only weeks a year that I'm not on TV,

0:56 but you still have There is still plenty of uh outstanding items.

1:01 Obviously, the Aaron Rodgers saga, which does remain uh ongoing at this point.

1:08 You still have some loose ends in terms of the A.J.

1:11 Brown situation.

1:12 And then you have something that may come to a head

1:15 and be finalized even before this uh segment is over.

1:19 I would be anticipating good news on the officiating front.

1:27 The vote has now closed for the NFL Referees Association.

1:31 The people I have spoken to anticipate ratification of a new labor deal,

1:36 which will ensure peace for years to come.

1:39 We'll keep the replacement officials off the field.

1:41 Again, nothing is finalized.

1:43 They have to have an auditor go through the votes,

1:46 uh but fully anticipating we'll get uh good news on that front soon.

1:49 Okay.

1:50 So, let's just assume we're getting good news on that front, Tom Pelissero.

1:53 Let's just do that.

1:54 Our radio audience has returned.

1:56 Tom Pelissero just dropped on our TV only portion that he believes

2:00 there's going to be a deal between the NFL and its officials,

2:04 so there will be labor peace there, which is awesome.

2:07 Um so, let's just assume this deal gets ratified.

2:11 Any changes that we should know about um in the way that officials are rated,

2:18 put out on the field, uh replay chiming in on uh some of their calls?

2:24 Is there anything in this CBA based on on that that you can drop for us here?

2:30 A big focus for the NFL was on expanding

2:34 the investment and in terms improving the quality of officiating.

2:38 One of the big sticking points,

2:41 um and this goes back for years, was this dark period.

2:45 Basically, after the Super Bowl for multiple months into the spring,

2:49 they couldn't have any contact with their officials.

2:51 You couldn't do training sessions, you couldn't do film sessions.

2:55 You really couldn't do anything, and that was all protecting um you know,

2:58 the working hours as unions do uh for the officials.

3:01 I would anticipate, based on what I know, that that is going to change,

3:04 that there's going to be expanded access to officials as part of a new deal.

3:09 The NFL has also pushed for, and I believe will get,

3:12 the ability to establish a bench of officials.

3:15 So, that if you have, let's say underperforming officials,

3:18 you would have other people who are ready to be called up,

3:21 just like it is you know, with players in a practice squad and the inactives.

3:24 You can go to the active list,

3:26 you potentially can have officials who can rise or fall uh within that.

3:30 And then the other part of it was,

3:32 you know, expanding their training programs into the off-season.

3:36 Um I know the union made a comment at one point about, you know,

3:39 interesting that they were going to put the replacement officials out there

3:41 in training camp when they no longer have us at training camps.

3:44 That also should change here, Rich.

3:47 They should be able to have officials out there, you know,

3:50 from joint practices to training camp to mini camp,

3:53 just more time on task, more reps.

3:55 The same stuff that they were going to do

3:57 if they had to initiate um the replacement officials.

4:00 At this point, it appears that it's going

4:02 to be unnecessary pending the final audit of the vote.

4:06 Um but the significant changes basically just expanding the amount

4:09 of training they can give officials who are also financially,

4:13 I fully anticipate are going to get

4:14 the best deal that NFL officials have ever gotten.

4:17 Okay, that's good news.

4:18 It really is cuz nobody wanted that.

4:19 Certainly the league didn't want to put um you know,

4:23 replacement officials out on the field in Australia

4:26 for the first game of the year internationally,

4:28 Rams and the Niners, and seeing all of that.

4:32 And I and I and also officials um you know, deserve what they what they can get.

4:38 And also um I think they didn't want to see maybe put in a place.

4:43 Let's just see how efficient the Art McNally

4:47 center ruling in chiming in on on actual calls

4:51 on a field um would be cuz that could be

4:54 pretty darn efficient at the end of the day, Tom.

4:57 You know?

4:58 And to go back back to the March meeting,

4:59 that was approved on a one-year basis contingent

5:02 on replacement officials that they would be able

5:05 from the league office to change any call

5:08 on the field that was clearly and obviously wrong,

5:10 which would just far expand um where replay has always cut off.

5:15 Um there has always been broad deference uh

5:17 from the competition committee to allowing the people who are

5:20 on the field to not have their judgment swapped out

5:23 for the judgment of someone who is not on the field.

5:26 This would have been a seismic shift.

5:28 Um like many things that the NFL um did and said over the past several months,

5:34 I'm sure that there is a leverage aspect to it of hey,

5:37 if we don't get this deal done and this the current

5:39 deal is set to expire on May 31st, if we don't get this done,

5:42 you may come back to a completely different work environment where we are,

5:48 you know, overhauling everything around you.

5:50 There is still going to be some

5:51 limited expansion of replay specifically for ejectable offenses.

5:56 Now, the league office can eject players even

5:59 if a flag is not thrown on the field.

6:00 They also can for the first time put down a flag for an ejectable offense.

6:04 So, both a flag and an ejection

6:06 for something that is completely missed on the field.

6:08 You think of situations like DK Metcalf on the sideline,

6:11 could that have been an example of it?

6:13 Certain hits that don't get flagged and then you see 10

6:16 different replay angles that just are missed because the game's so fast.

6:19 The league now would be able to insert themselves on those matters,

6:23 but it will not be the broad expansion,

6:25 the fix-everything sky judge, which I would personally say,

6:29 and I know there are some people who've been campaigning for this forever,

6:32 there is no earthly way, and I know we just released the UFO files today,

6:36 so maybe they'll find some,

6:37 there's no earthly way to make that efficient in the in the near term.

6:43 You don't have enough of the highly qualified,

6:45 you know, sky judge type people to be doing that.

6:48 You would have a real questions about where the line is drawn,

6:52 where what is clear and obvious.

6:54 Is it the 100% call?

6:55 Is it the 95% call?

6:58 It's such a slippery slope.

6:59 I I personally hope the NFL doesn't go there.

7:01 Technology continues to improve.

7:03 The league will continue to do things incrementally,

7:05 but having the full-time, not full-time,

7:08 but the real officials, whatever you want to call them, on the field,

7:11 not replacement officials,

7:13 it'll allow them to continue incrementally toward technology as opposed

7:17 to a broad experiment that would have been virtually impossible to roll back.

7:20 Tom Pelissero here on the Rich Eisen Show.

7:22 You know, a nice rarity,

7:23 which is a Mother's Day week bonafide free agent signing.

7:28 Uh Juwan Jennings, one year, reportedly,

7:30 $13 million deal to join the Minnesota Vikings right there in that town.

7:35 And that means Addison and Justin Jefferson and Juwan Jennings,

7:40 that is a nice trio of receivers for which starting quarterback, Tom?

7:47 Well, let's start with how Jauan Jennings fits into this

7:49 No, I don't wish to start with that.

7:51 I want the T spelled, Tom.

7:55 It immediately raises questions about, okay,

7:57 are they planning to move on from Jordan Addison?

8:00 Like, why would he come to Minnesota?

8:01 It's a one-year $8 million deal.

8:03 He can earn up to $13 million with incentives.

8:05 He was the free agent left on the market other than

8:08 Aaron Rodgers who was going to make the most money somewhere.

8:12 So, the Vikings end up getting him at what can only

8:14 be called a cut rate at this stage in the offseason.

8:17 The vision, as I understand it,

8:18 is Jauan Jennings effectively will fill the Jalen Nailor role.

8:22 He had a lot of productivity,

8:23 cashed in on a big deal with the Raiders in free agency.

8:26 It does not bear on Jordan Addison or Justin Jefferson.

8:29 They envision the three of those guys all being out there along with T.J.

8:32 Hockenson.

8:34 And having a really diverse passing

8:36 game for whichever quarterback ends up starting.

8:39 My understanding has been, and I will continue to say this, Rich,

8:42 we had OTAs getting going in a couple weeks,

8:44 that'll tell us more about what the actual landscape of this is going to be,

8:47 but they envision it being a true competition, Kyler Murray versus J.J.

8:51 McCarthy.

8:52 And both these guys are going to go

8:54 into this believing they're going to win this job.

8:57 You know, I don't know, frankly,

8:58 how friendly that quarterback room is going to be.

9:01 It is going to be a very competitive quarterback room.

9:04 They are two players that have some things

9:06 in common in terms of their skill set.

9:08 You know, nobody moves like Kyler, but J.J.'s got good mobility,

9:11 as you know well, Rich, from watching him at at Michigan.

9:15 You've got Sorry, my Siri thought I was saying something.

9:18 I was not.

9:20 [laughter] Kyler Murray?

9:21 That's That's what you wanted?

9:22 No, I was just about to say, is Siri trying to giving you information on that?

9:26 I thought maybe I had a message.

9:27 Yeah, that would be That would be the ultimate

9:28 AI if it starts sorting out quarterback competitions.

9:31 But, Kyler comes in Listen, he hasn't played in this offense.

9:33 J.J.'s got 2 years in it.

9:35 It's been a roller coaster ride.

9:36 There's been some really good moments.

9:38 There's been some not so good moments, and there have been a ton of injuries.

9:41 Kyler also has dealt with injuries in recent years,

9:44 you know, since the the torn ACL, and then obviously last year uh with the foot

9:48 injury they never made it back from.

9:49 It's going to be interesting to watch these guys duke it out

9:51 because you've got JJ who's got at least a foundation in the offense.

9:55 You've got Kyler who has shown ability,

9:58 he's been to Pro Bowls, he's been to the playoffs.

10:00 He's still only 28 years old.

10:02 Um this is to me is going to be

10:03 the most fascinating quarterback competition in the NFL.

10:06 And from everything that I have understood, it is truly wide open.

10:09 They're keeping an open mind as a coaching staff,

10:11 and we'll see what direction it goes.

10:13 That was maybe maybe that was Nick Sirianni chiming in.

10:16 Oh, he

10:16 What do you think?

10:17 We're on the phone.

10:18 What do you think?

10:19 All right.

10:19 Um [laughter]

10:21 So, Rodgers, what what like we're talking money now, right?

10:25 Is that what it is?

10:26 Money.

10:26 Is it now money?

10:27 I mean, it can't be the scheme, can't be anything else other than you know,

10:32 um 15's the base based on on the procedure

10:36 procedural maneuver the Steelers made right after the draft, right?

10:40 Is that what it is?

10:41 Is he there today?

10:42 Is he now?

10:43 Is he there right now right now?

10:44 Let let First of all, [laughter] Aaron Rodgers is believed to be in Pittsburgh.

10:53 Okay.

10:53 There is no meeting scheduled.

10:54 There is not a visit to the facility scheduled.

10:57 It does not sound, from what I was told this morning,

10:59 that there's even been communication right now in terms of like,

11:03 "Hey, you're going to pop over or something." Like none none of that's happened.

11:06 There has been communication

11:07 What's he there for?

11:08 He's getting a Primanti Brothers made a bark.

11:10 Is that what it is?

11:11 Bark instead of fries on it?

11:12 This is Aaron Rodgers we're talking about.

11:14 I'm just trying to frame this for you as accurately as I can, Rich,

11:17 because like everything with Aaron Rodgers,

11:19 there could be many many stops and the starts.

11:21 To the point on money, I do not believe,

11:23 based on what I know, that the contract is going to hold this up.

11:25 There has been communication between the Steelers and Rodgers' agent, Dave Dunn.

11:29 That communication has been positive.

11:32 Okay.

11:32 Uh they have talked numbers.

11:34 They don't have an agreement.

11:35 Aaron Rodgers has made about $400 million in his career.

11:39 If he's making 15 or 20,

11:41 I don't think that that's going to have a great impact on his life.

11:46 If Aaron Rodgers is coming back, it's not to make a few extra bucks.

11:49 It's to go and try to win a championship

11:51 with a locker room that enjoyed him last year,

11:54 with a head coach and Mike McCarthy who's new

11:56 to Pittsburgh but knows Aaron Rodgers as well as anybody,

12:00 an offense he's hyper familiar with.

12:02 Aaron has to ultimately decide what he wants to do.

12:05 I believe that this all ends with Aaron Rodgers being the Steelers quarterback.

12:10 I believe most likely it ends with Aaron Rodgers

12:13 out there when OTAs get going on May 18th.

12:16 Does that take place this weekend?

12:18 Does it take place next week?

12:20 It is Aaron Rodgers.

12:21 He is going to decide on his own terms but not about money,

12:25 not about, you know, you know, beating each other up over the contract.

12:29 This is just about Aaron making a full and final decision,

12:32 a commitment, I'm coming, I'm going to be the Steelers quarterback.

12:36 He could walk in the door in 3 minutes for all we know,

12:38 Rich, but right now no meeting is set and we continue to wait.

12:44 Okay.

12:44 Uh what else is there then?

12:45 What's on your What's in your reporter's notebook

12:47 or people blowing you up about this team?

12:49 We're not talking about that team enough.

12:51 Anything like that?

12:52 Any of As we're waiting for the schedule.

12:54 Could it be schedule related?

12:55 You got anything for me there, Tom?

12:57 I think we're really into now that, you know,

12:59 the draft is settled, all the free agent movement in essence has settled.

13:02 Although there There are some big names that are still sitting out there,

13:05 you know, waiting free agency.

13:06 Diggs, right?

13:07 Isn't Diggs sitting out there?

13:08 Diggs, you know, Tyreek, we don't know if he's going to be ready

13:10 to play in 2026 but he's still a free agent.

13:13 Deebo is still a free agent.

13:15 Keenan Allen is still a free agent.

13:17 There's a bunch of running backs, um you know,

13:19 Najee and Ekeler both coming off of uh significant uh types of injuries.

13:23 There's a bunch of pass rushers, Von Miller, Cam Jordan.

13:25 So all those guys, you're at that stage where you're not making the money

13:29 that you used to and you're going to have to make a decision.

13:31 Do you want to play?

13:32 If so, what matters to you?

13:35 Do you want to take the most money?

13:36 Do you want to go to the right spot?

13:37 Do you want to go back to the team you've always been with?

13:39 Do you want to try something new?

13:41 Those can be anytime in the next 4 months,

13:43 Rich, and we'll see exactly what those directions go.

13:45 But at this point, now you start to get into, all right,

13:48 we now know who's on what team.

13:49 There's no more speculating about the draft,

13:51 no more speculating other than Rogers about what quarterback is going where.

13:55 Uh it's competition time.

13:57 Um yeah, I don't think that there's one at all in Los Angeles.

14:00 The full anticipation is Ty Simpson waits uh behind Matthew Stafford,

14:03 but we'll certainly await Stafford's contract getting done

14:06 as well as what he has to say on the subject of the Ty Simpson draft

14:09 pick uh whenever that ends up taking place.

14:13 Um you've got Las Vegas, obviously, with Fernando Mendoza there.

14:16 We know what Kliff Kingsbury has said um

14:18 that he would like to have a veteran starting quarterback,

14:21 but there's going to be competition on some level.

14:23 If Kirk Cousins goes and stinks it up in the preseason,

14:25 I don't think they're just going to default to Kirk has to be the quarterback,

14:28 but they are believers in um you want to give Fernando time,

14:32 especially when he's making this um significant transition.

14:35 Out there, you know, in Arizona,

14:37 barring some wild scenario where Aaron Rodgers all

14:40 of a sudden ends up in the Cardinals uniform,

14:41 which I don't anticipate, you know, you're going to have Jacoby Brissett,

14:45 who from my understanding is still the clear QB1,

14:47 but he's got Gardner Minshew there.

14:49 He's got a guy in Carson Beck there that has the first pick

14:51 in the third round and has won a ton of football games at the college level.

14:55 Um that to me is going to be uh a really interesting competition.

14:58 Obviously, if Aaron doesn't come back,

15:00 which all indications are that he will, but if he doesn't come back,

15:03 then in Pittsburgh, it'll be Will Howard

15:06 and Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph going at it.

15:09 And this is the to me, this is the fun time of year, Rich, because now,

15:12 again, all the speculation that we've had,

15:15 let's actually see the guys on the field.

15:16 Let's actually see how these things um begin to play out.

15:19 And then there's, you know, veteran competitions as well in places like

15:21 Minnesota and Cleveland where I know that you

15:24 know everyone has been saying that Deshaun Watson's at top of the totem pole.

15:28 It's May, let's see where we are come August.

15:32 You know, this is again,

15:33 this is the part of the calendar where you start to all right,

15:35 get past the theoretical phase and see what happens in reality.

15:37 All right, Tom.

15:38 You go back you go do your thing, man.

15:41 You know?

15:42 Like you you're you're you you tapped out

15:44 of Tom Pelissero the civilian to to throw

15:48 your hoodie on and your hair ready and and join us and I appreciate that.

15:52 I'm wearing a tuxedo next week just for you, Rich.

15:55 We're we're dressing to the nines.

15:57 What do you call it, a Canadian tuxedo?

15:59 What is Canadian tuxedo is Is that all denim?

16:00 I can do a Canadian tuxedo, too.

16:02 That all denim?

16:03 All right, we We make that happen.

16:05 You going to any of the any of the T-Wolves games?

16:07 Or no?

16:08 No?

16:09 Uh not as of now.

16:10 We'll see.

16:11 Uh my kids continue to bug me about it,

16:13 but those those 8:30 Central starts that are

16:15 actually 8:57 Central starts a little rough.

16:18 Little rough on the kids.

16:19 Okay.

16:20 I got it.

16:20 Uh have a great Mother's Day with your lovely wife, sir.

16:23 Enjoy it.

16:24 Same to you, Rich.

16:24 Thank you.

16:25 That's Tom Oh, sorry, brother.

16:26 That's Tom Pelissero, everybody right here on the Rich Eisen Show.

16:29 Hey, you made it all the way to the end.

16:30 Thanks for that.

16:31 Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney

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