The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

As we get closer to June 1 and the true beginning of the summer, the earliest thought embers of what we think about the 2026 season are beginning to glow. However, as those beliefs take shape, we fully understand that optimism doesn't automatically translate into results. Derrik Klassen welcomes Dan Pizzuta of FTN onto this episode of The Athletic Football Show to share with one another the beliefs they hold with eyes wide open on how they could take a turn for the worse.

Host: Derrik Klassen
With: Dan Pizzuta
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's be honest, a lot of sixth and seventh round NFL Draft picks never come back into our consciousness after draft night...but a few are primed to actually make a difference for their teams in the 2027 season. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen discuss the picks that could see the field and make an impact on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Timestamps are approximate:
0:00 Welcome to the show
3:11 Bryce Boettcher
8:35 George Gumbs Jr
9:18 Caden Curry
11:21 Deion Burks
13:33 Demond Claiborne
17:00 Merch design contest
18:24 Kaleb Elarms-Orr
21:43 Aiden Fisher
25:45 Kamari Ramsey
31:57 Malik Benson
36:28 Joshua Josephs
40:10 Taylen Green
45:47 Kage Casey
50:37 Justin Joly & Dallen Bentley
54:51 Tanner Koziol

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cognitive dissonance in the way we talk about Mike Tomlin and Nick Sirianni? Top-five football heartbreaks? The worst QB the Raiders would've been willing to acquire in exchange for this year's number one pick? Yup, it's another edition of The Athletic Football Show's mailbag. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen tackle those questions, and more, on this episode.

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Buy or Sell Their Offseasons series wraps up, as it always does, with The Contenders. You could fairly quibble with one or two of the teams we have among this octet, but you cannot argue with the idea that each of these eight teams clearly has what it takes to make a deep playoff run. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen make buy-or-sell calls on the offseasons of the 49ers, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Bills, Ravens, Seahawks and Rams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From genuine interest in the Steelers offense to enduring power of the league's evolutionary instincts, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen find themselves thinking certain things in mid-May that they didn't necessarily anticipate. They dig into all those things on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.