The Pat McAfee Show Live From The NFL Combine | Wednesday February 25th 2026

Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia vehemently opposes the practice of 'tanking' (purposely losing games to gain better draft picks) in the NBA. He views it as an 'embarrassment' that fosters a 'loser mentality' within an organization, arguing that incentives are misaligned when losing leads to future benefits. Ishbia believes teams should always strive to win.

Matt Ishbia states, 'My perspective is tanking is loser mentality. Like, I I've never been around anyone. You show me someone that wants to lose or thinks about losing. Like, I'll show you a loser.' He also notes that Adam Silver recognizes it as a problem and it 'will change.'

The NFL Combine serves as both a physical and mental evaluation for prospective players. While on-field drills showcase athletic ability, the private team interviews are equally, if not more, critical for assessing a player's football IQ, character, and love for the game. Teams use 'mind games' like asking players to recall plays taught hours earlier to test their mental acuity under pressure.

AJ Hawk describes the combine as 'the ultimate job interview that you have to show your physical skills on the field... and then the mental side, I think, is even a bigger component.' He recounts being asked to draw up blitzes taught hours before. Pat McAfee adds that GMs and coaches want to know if a player 'loves ball' or 'loves what football brings you.'

Beyond physical attributes and football IQ, NFL teams, particularly the Seattle Seahawks under John Schneider, prioritize a player's character and cultural fit within the organization. Schneider emphasizes finding 'smart, tough, reliable football players' who embody the team's ethos, even if their combine numbers aren't elite. He highlights the importance of coaches buying into a player's role.

John Schneider states, 'What really matters is like eye in the sky and then the person the competitor... They got to be smart, tough, reliable football players.' He recounts a GM not caring about his bench press reps, focusing instead on attitude. He also mentions the importance of 'total buy in' from coaching staff for a player like Nick Eman, despite his 'athletic freak' status.

The NFL's rapidly increasing salary cap, driven by new media rights and streaming deals, is fundamentally changing team building and player contract negotiations. While it allows for higher player salaries, it also creates complex decisions for GMs regarding how to allocate significant funds, especially for specialized positions like kickers, where high pay comes with immense performance pressure.

The hosts discuss Brandon Aubrey's potential $10 million/year contract, noting that 'salary cap's a billion dollars now' and 'it's only going to go up.' Pat McAfee explains that '49 and a half% of the revenue from media, TV rights, and merch' goes to players, directly impacting the cap. He also shares his own experience with contract negotiations as a punter, balancing pay with job security.

New Tennessee Titans Head Coach Robert Salah articulates his core philosophy for the team's playing style: 'speed and violence.' He aims for his team's 'silent tape' (game film without sound) to clearly communicate these attributes to opponents, emphasizing that this is achieved not just by drafting fast and violent players, but also through coaching and information delivery.

Robert Salah states, 'What do you want that silent tape to represent? Um and for us it's being fast, it's being violent... We want that thing to scream speed and violence.'