00:00Hour number two. Good to have you. We talk Tigers in hour one. We got to turn our attention to
00:06what I think is a major story, but you guys, the listener, will determine that. I want to play for
00:11you some Dan Campbell, OTAs, the mysterious, this is really Rico's purview, some form of like space galaxy UFO mystery
00:21thing, a.k.a. Kirby Joseph's knee.
00:24I thought it was aliens. Okay. It may as well be because I want you to listen to this and
00:31I want you to tell me a something or nothing. And then I have a question I want to ask
00:36the listener because I know where I'm at with this. Again, this doesn't mean I'm right. It's not like I'm
00:41a doctor who's examined his knee, but you simply on June 4th, little over a month from camp.
00:49If this is the update we're getting after an off season of dude may not play, uh, the internet doctors
00:59who are actual doctors saying, um, he ain't going to be who he was. He sure as hell ain't going
01:06to live out that deal. Dot, dot, dot. Listen to it. And I want to say this and I mean
01:12it as a compliment.
01:12Dan Campbell may be a lot of things. A liar is not one of them. He tells you how he
01:19feels. This is Dan Campbell on the prognosis for Kirby Joseph. Take a listen.
01:53Here's my response.
01:56Okay. Here, please. Like I don't, I'm not, again, I'm not a doctor and I didn't stay at a holiday
02:02and express Rico. My initial response to that, I'd be lying to my audience. I didn't say he's done.
02:06Um, you can't come out with that on June 4th and go guys, we've done everything we can do. Yeah.
02:12And we're kind of nursing it along and he's done everything he can do. Right. And then we're going to,
02:17we won't push it till we have to. And then we'll not be done.
02:22I just, what, how else am I supposed to take that? If you're upset at that commentary, call in and
02:27tell me how else am I supposed to take that? The head coach it's June 4th and he sounds defeated.
02:33He sounds frustrated. He sounds like guys, we've tried everything. Kirby's tried everything. It's not reacting the way that we
02:41do. And yeah, if the season were to start now, it sounds as if yeah, he ain't playing now. Yeah.
02:47Do you have some months in between time? Yeah.
02:50Yeah. But Mike, you've had a bunch of months since he got injured and it doesn't sound like he's football
02:56injuries. Injuries in 2026 are not murky. There are timelines or established procedures. It takes something really weird to be
03:03an injury. That's weird. If that makes sense. No, it makes sense.
03:06We have been concerned about the Kirby Joseph thing from jump. And this is part of my reason where I
03:12laugh at everyone doing the whole easy schedule thing. And I'm like, are either of your safeties going to be
03:16alive? One dude's coming off an Achilles. The other dude may never play again. And now you finally get the
03:23update. And all we can do is go by the updates we're given.
03:27Listen, what is your confidence in the following? What is more likely true? That is Kirby Joseph going to be
03:37a pro bowler for you this year? Or is Kirby Joseph going to retire? Go ahead. Now answer that. And
03:44you'll go, well, that's not fair. Those are opposite ends of the spectrum.
03:47Right. But it forces you into a conversation that's substantive. That's real where you got to think about it. If
03:57Kirby comes back and he's part time and he's week to week and he snap count. That's not Kirby Joseph.
04:04It's not. Kirby Joseph signed a four year, $86 million contract to be a ball hawking safety. That's seemingly as
04:12he goes, your turnover margin goes. Right.
04:14So if he's not him, what's that? Then you got to answer the damn question. I'm not going to do
04:21soft serve. If you're forcing me to answer it, retirement versus pro bowl. I was stunned to hear Dan Campbell's
04:30tenor. And I'm thankful for Dan Campbell because at least in a world of lies and gaslighting and nonsense by
04:37teams and executives, Dan Campbell just got up there and he may as well had a Coors Light in his
04:41hand and gone. We're screwed.
04:44Mike, it reminds me a lot of like near the end of Frank Rag now where it was like, well,
04:49you know, it's just really it's up to his pain tolerance and it's up to this and it's kind of
04:54out of our hands. And it sounds the same way with Kirby Joseph. I got to lean towards you that
04:59if I had to choose between the two, I would say retirement.
05:04Now, if it were if I had a third option, I'd say, you know what? Maybe he just sits this
05:08year out and tries to figure it out an option.
05:11But I said, if I had that, I'm not giving you that. This is not a scantron.
05:17You came back mean. I'm good. I'm not mean. No, no, no. But if I had to choose between the
05:21two, doesn't sound like he's going to be playing this year.
05:23No. And OK, thank you. So that's my point. When I'm going to throw the number out, I really believe
05:28this should be a huge story today.
05:30I don't think we'll let it play. No, no, no, no, no, no. We have been given the update.
05:37The update is. I just don't know. The update is we've done and he's done all we can.
05:44The update is they don't even want to try to really test them because they know he's probably going to
05:51blow out.
05:53That's my world. If you want to sell me that this is alarmist behavior.
06:00Pick up the phone and start dialing. There's nothing else I can say to you.
06:05I've been concerned from the beginning. Dan Campbell very easily could have said, guys, he's made really good progress.
06:13And we're very optimistic. There's no reason to rush it now.
06:17We really believe he's going to be just fine for week one.
06:20Play it again. No, Rico, Rico, then audio.
06:23Or he could have came out and kind of like what Green Bay has done with Micah Parsons.
06:28We'll probably see him after the bye week. He's going to be there.
06:31May not be ready for the beginning of the season.
06:33But after our early bye week, you'll see him back on the defense.
06:36There you go. And again, just so we're fair, because I know some of you get very sensitive.
06:41I have the same concerns about Malik neighbors in my neighborhood.
06:46Okay. But he was jogging.
06:48He looked like Lieutenant Dan at that celebrity softball game.
06:52And the Giants have been murky. The Giants have been secretive.
06:56The Giants have been signing cadaver wide receivers.
07:00I treat everybody the same.
07:03You don't have mystery injuries in 2026.
07:07And when it is one, you have every right to be an alarmist.
07:12As far as Kirby goes, I'm at DEFCON 1.
07:15There's no higher concern I could have.
07:18Play the audio again.
07:19Dan Campbell did a service, even though this may be too truthful.
07:24And I'm glad Rico said something.
07:27Listen to his tone.
07:28Not just the words.
07:29Listen to how he's talking.
07:31Does this sound like a guy who feels like,
07:33hey, we're going to turn a corner here?
08:01He's done some of these different things at different times.
08:05I'm sorry.
08:06Have we reached the Maglio Ordonez Austrian ankle surgery phase?
08:10I was about to say the only thing missing is now we got to go overseas for experimental surgery.
08:16They tied a knot around his ligaments with a pig's tail in Honduras.
08:20Dude, what are we talking about?
08:23We're building.
08:24We're strengthening.
08:25Dude, it's June.
08:27Yeah.
08:28This isn't like it happened yesterday.
08:31This isn't a press conference December 1st for a guy who got hurt November 1st.
08:37How many months has this been going on?
08:42I'm sorry.
08:43I'm I did.
08:44There can't be higher concern.
08:46And the impact on the team is your turnover margin is directly tied to Kirby Joseph.
08:53And you hear frustration and Campbell, like I said, because Campbell knew guys give me something because I got to
09:01go out and talk to these people.
09:02They're going to ask me questions.
09:04Coach, we don't have much.
09:05Really?
09:06Nothing?
09:06No hope?
09:07Here's the other one.
09:08And I only say this because we were saying it all offseason.
09:13It's not hindsight.
09:15If you were saying it in the moment, why did they not get another safety?
09:24Not an Avante Maddox.
09:26I'm saying draft capital or a legitimate free agent.
09:30Leaving yourself in a position where at best, at best, you're in limbo.
09:38And at worst, you're effed.
09:41And then Brian Branch is coming off an Achilles.
09:45I want to say it again.
09:46What is the history of freak show athletes in any sport blowing out and coming back?
09:53Now, do it for football.
09:55That's my only thing.
09:57I am very nervous.
09:59When it comes to that, you normally get the person blowing out the other Achilles because they overcompensate, especially in
10:05football.
10:06No, this is one where, you know what, you may get a lot of fans who say, okay, well, now
10:11you're moving the goalposts because you said you wanted a second edge rusher and they got one.
10:15And now you're saying you wanted a second safety.
10:18I said that secondary totally scares me from Ray Straw.
10:23We don't know what he is from Terry on Arnold, who, when he was on the field, wasn't great.
10:28And then you don't know what's going on off the field with him.
10:31Brian Branch, Kirby, secondary is not one of your strongest points right now.
10:37And listening to Dan Campbell and looking at just his body English and watching this video clip, he looks as
10:45frustrated as anybody because he's wondering what the heck is going on with Kirby.
10:49He doesn't know.
10:51Kirby doesn't know.
10:52And, yeah, we're probably a few weeks away from a secret trip overseas to see some doctor in Switzerland.
10:59I'll throw the number out, 248-539-9797.
11:03What do you take from what Dan Campbell said?
11:05What's your concern level?
11:07And if I kind of put you in a corner and I say answer, what's the more likely here?
11:13This cat's got to retire this year or this guy's going back to a Pro Bowl?
11:16Answer honestly.
11:19And this isn't going to be a witch hunt about why didn't they do more.
11:22I just wanted to mention real quick, like we've kind of said that all offseason.
11:26And now you waited until just a little over a month before camp and your coach sounds exasperated.
11:34Just, you know, pardon me.
11:36I don't want to get all bricked up that they're playing the Titans and Cardinals.
11:39I'm more concerned.
11:40Who's our safety tandem?
11:41I don't want to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to
11:41get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up
11:41that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to
11:41get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up
11:41that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to
11:41get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up
11:41that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to
11:41get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up
11:41that they're going to get all bricked up that they're going to get all bricked up that
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