Darrell Bevell – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
Quarterbacks Coach Darrell Bevell
(It seems like one of the areas that QB Tua Tagovailoa has really excelled with is the pre-snap and getting the football out quick and the anticipation. How impressive is that for a guy playing in just his fifth or sixth game within the system?) – “Well, I think Tua has done a great job in terms of really diving into this offense and trying to make sure that he knows where all the bones are buried and the important parts of the play. He’s really bought into the footwork. I think that’s the thing – I’ve had a few conversations with you guys about that. He’s just done a really nice job of understanding what the concept is of what we’re trying to do, and then letting his feet speak to him.”
(If there’s one thing – we spoke to QB Tua Tagovailoa yesterday and we asked him what’s one thing you’ve improved on, and he joked that he has improved on the deep balls the most. If there’s one thing that you can pinpoint and say he’s operating at a higher level than earlier in the year or in past film that you’ve been able to see, what would you say that is?) – “I think it’s the overall understanding of what we’re trying to do. There’s just so much nuance to the quarterback position – anything from the cadence to his pre-snap reads to his post-snap reads. Then I’m going to continue to say his feet and how that’s helping him get through those progressions.”
(The word timing comes up a lot when we talk about this passing game and QB Tua Tagovailoa. I’m wondering, how different or is the timing much different than everybody in this offense has seen? So is it different for WR Tyreek Hill, is it different for TE Mike Gesicki, is it that much different for Tua? And could you talk a little bit about that?) – “Yeah, I would say I think it’s a little bit different than probably where guys have been, or things that they’ve been in. Their footwork is as critical as our quarterback’s footwork, and being able to blend those whether it’s – because different things can shake up the timing. If a receiver has free access versus somebody that’s pressed on top of them, right? And that’s going to change the footwork to whatever it’s going to change it to. So does it change it to a depth? Does it change it to still counting your steps? So those things, with all those guys buying into that being where they’re supposed to be and when they’re supposed to be there, and then marry that with Tua’s feet, and it’s been pretty successful so far.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa himself brought up his deep ball. Where do you feel he is in that aspect? Has there been growth, or has he always had it since you got here? What do you feel?) – “There’s been some people have been pretty hard on Tua. And we’ve been, from day one, we’ve been very confident in him. Can he throw the deep ball? Yes. Has he been able to throw the deep ball? Yes. Is he throwing it? Is he throwing it well? Yeah, he is throwing it well. Can we improve? Absolutely. You’re still learning your players. I mean, as you can tell, Tyreek (Hill) is very fast. And so is Jaylen (Waddle). So there’s difference throwing deep balls to those guys. I thought the one that he threw to Jaylen in the game for the touchdown was about as good of a the throw as he’s made so far. I really liked that throw. When you can, you need to let those guys run. So those are all conversations that we’re talking about all the time. I love where Tua is at with really all areas. I mean, he’s grown in so many areas behind the scenes that you guys don’t even get to see just in terms of his preparation, the things that he’s doing off the field to make sure that he’s working on his game, he’s working on his team, and he’s doing a great job with that.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel had praised the throw against the zero coverage with WR Tyreek Hill down the field, kind of like what you’re talking about. I just want to hear your perspective on that play and what QB Tua Tagovailoa saw and how he’s able to get that ball down there to him.) – “Yeah, I mean he was able to see the coverage. It was zero coverage that they put out there. So we know that there’s going to be one free guy that Tua is going to be responsible for. He was able to read it, feel it, and he put it exactly in the spot that we want him to. Can we be picky and say throw it about two yards further? Yes, we can. But he had that free guy, and there’s timing on when that guy is going to be free and how fast the guy can get there, and the way it ended up turning out, Tua did a great job of that.”
(Have you ever seen a receiver close ground like WR Tyreek Hill does? I mean, it felt like he was 30 yards downfield before you blink.) – “No. It’s incredible to watch. It’s fun to watch every day. The old saying is if he’s even, he’s leaving. I mean, that’s about – I’ve never seen it more true than him. I mean, if he’s getting within five yards of the guy, I mean that’s about even for him. He’s leaving.”
Anthony Campanile – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(What was the scene like when you got the news that LB Bradley Chubb was coming?) – “Fired up. Everybody was fired up. You’re kind of in the midst of working, so you’re trying to keep it contained because you have to stay on the task at hand. But definitely fired up.”
(How did you find out about this? Did Head Coach Mike McDaniel call a coaches meeting? Or did you find out on Twitter?) – “No, I didn’t. (laughter) Everybody just found out at once. It was a collective moment of happiness for everybody. We were fired up. It was good.”
(Was there an actual reaction of fist-pumping? Or ‘Yeah!?’) – “Not necessarily. I don’t know. Everybody was like, ‘That’s awesome! Great news!’ Everybody was fired up and just kind of enjoying that, getting that news, and then getting back to work. Not necessarily some of the craziness that I’ve been involved in with college football when a recruit signs and everybody goes crazy and all of that. (laughter) It was a great moment, for sure.”
(How do you describe the challenge of balancing this acquisition with making sure that you get everybody involved with play-time, snap counts and all of that good stuff?) – “I think our system kind of lends to that because there’s a lot of on-your-feet players in a 3-4. That’s kind of the cool part of what we do. There’s a bunch of different packages within our system every week. I think when guys watch us, they’ll see that. That’s kind of the fun part of it, to me.”
(I’m curious if you can kind of speak to the growth of LB Duke Riley in this system. I was just browsing some stats and he’s averaging like the second fewest yards per completion when he’s targeted or something like that. I know he made another good play in coverage Sunday that was nullified by penalty. But can you kind of speak to his growth?) – “Yeah, I think even that play, that’s a big play in the game because they have the opportunity to take the penalty or if they make good on the play, obviously they can go ahead with that. He’s just been – what a great guy to coach. Like unbelievable. I think everybody in the locker room loves him. I generally love coaching the guy. He’s just a great human being in general. But that kind of speaks to his work ethic. He’s constantly trying to do extra, this guy. His notes and everything, just down to the very last detail, he’s the type of guy that you want to coach. He’s just kind of gotten better and better every day since he’s been here. I feel that way. I think he feels that way. I think a lot of the guys on the team feel that way. He’s definitely producing for us and doing a great job when he’s out there.”
(What’s your LB Channing Tindall progress report since the last time we spoke to you?) – “Channing is progressing. He’s doing some really good things. Like I said, he’s got a ton of ability and is an explosive guy. (He) certainly has a hunger to learn. He’s in the room with a lot of great people. We’re pushing him to be his best every day, so he’s progressing about right where we thought he would, to be honest with you. I think he’s doing a good job. He’s getting better every day and certainly contributing on special (teams) and all of that stuff. He’s doing a good job.”
(When you look at how young LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb are, what are some of the things that come to mind in terms of the potential those two might have to work together for years to come?) – “I think there’s certainly a lot of potential there. It’s great to have great players. Those guys are both great players. I think the world of Jaelan, having been around him. And everybody I’ve talked to about Bradley, and obviously he hasn’t been here that long, but he fits right in. We see those guys as two important parts of what we’re going to do in the future and we certainly have high hopes for their progress and their future as well.”
Austin Clark – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark
(Obviously with the team acquiring LB Bradley Chubb, I know that he’s, by position, an outside linebacker, but he’s along the defensive front. Can you kind of speak to maybe the different things that teams are able to do in terms of lining guys up? Do you anticipate more flexibility in terms of lining guys up?) – “Yeah, I think he’s smart, tough, physical. (He can) set the edge (and) can rush well. It varies at different spots. To be honest with you, we got our first full practice today, so I’m excited to work with him. I think personality-wise, he’s a great fit with the group. A lot of those things will be game-plan specific as we get going here. It’s kind of a little too early to tell, but you’ll see Sunday.”
(When the trade goes down, I’m sure you’re probably prepping or whatever for the Bears. But in the middle of this game-week prep, do you start looking at old LB Bradley Chubb film and thinking, ‘we can do this, we can do that?’) – “Yeah, I think any time you add a great player like that, it’s what fits the system and along with all the other guys, too. How can we be the best cohesive unit up front? I’m excited about all the things he brings to the table, for sure.”
(You mentioned you’re going to be working with him – is it you, or a combination of you and Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie?) – “Like with the front, all of us work together, especially when we’re doing the rush stuff. Ty does a hell of a job. (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Derrick LeBlanc. Everybody does a great job. It’s just about affecting that quarterback. That’s what we’re focused on. And this week, stopping the run is at the forefront as well.”
(Speaking of that, you guys have a good ranking in run defense. I’m wondering what the defensive line has been doing well in that regard?) – “Yeah, I think it’s week to week. We’re playing the number one offense – run offense – in the NFL this week, and it’s going to be a big challenge for us. But pad leverage, eye control, exploding out of your hips, using your hands, pending front, pending alignment, setting the edge on the perimeter has been big for us. There’s definitely some things to clean up from the last game for sure, and we’re excited about the challenge this week.”
(How is DE Emmanuel Ogbah doing?) – “I think ‘Og’ (Emmanuel Ogbah) missed a game, came back last week. I think we saw some flashes of what we want him to do. I think early on (he had a) little bit of a fast start. Technique-wise, there’s some pad leverage things that we can clean up. But he had a great day yesterday. He’s feeling great and we’re really excited about him this weekend.”
(When a guy lines up offsides multiple times, why is that usually happening? How often is the guy actually offsides and not called for?) – “First and foremost, those offsides penalties, that’s a direct reflection of me and it’s unacceptable. And we’ve got to clean that up. I think in terms of a game, we’ve got to adjust. We’ve got to get the guy back. You’ve got to adjust to kind of how it’s being called, and those were offsides penalties. I think what happens sometimes is when the offensive line is lining up deep off the ball, in some instances, the spacing is now further and like some players can try to get tighter, but you have to line (up) off the ball, not the man. And you’ve got to adjust. I promise you this, we’ve been working on that yesterday and today. It’s literally something that takes no talent. Just align onsides and we’ll clean that up.”
(You mentioned LB Bradley Chubb having kind of a good personality to fit in with the guys. What do you do to kind of acclimate him into a room? Like I imagine it’s like a first day of school, new student type of situation? Is there something you do to try to get him into the room to just make him one of the guys?) – “I don’t think it’s anything that a coach does. I think it’s something that the players do. And I think the minute you add a great player, the great players we have on this team were fired up. They’ve got to gel together (and learn) how to rush together, how to play together. I think it’s a selfless thing. I think that our players, our team, and what Mike’s built here is phenomenal. I think a player like that can thrive.”
Danny Crossman – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(What qualifies a player to be a punt returner, and why does WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. get that job?) – “There’s so many things. Cedrick’s got a little bit of a history. Not a lot, but he’s been constantly out there working and just trying to find and have somebody who’s always ready to go, which is sort of where it led us to Cedrick. He had some opportunities in this last game and took advantage of them. Hopefully we can keep building on that in the future.”
(As far as the skillset, what are you – obviously good hands?) – “Yeah, but good hands has nothing to do with catching punts. It’s completely different. Tracking it, reading the nose, reading the spin, then you throw the elements into it. So it’s really a different skillset than just catching the football. Punts, kickoffs, passes – they’re all different. But he’s done a solid job and hopefully we can keep building on that the more opportunities we get.”
(Week after week, WR Trent Sherfield leads offensive players in special teams snaps. What makes him a good special teams player?) – “Well, when you look at his history, he’s been a very good special teams player. It’s the offensive snaps that have sort of transitioned for him this season. It’s a tough load. We experienced that a little bit with Mack Hollins where he’s a special teams guy whose offensive load builds, and that’s sort of where we’re at with Trent right now. He’s doing a good job on both phases.”
(We have to ask you about the one special teams play – the fake punt this time. What happened there?) – “That’s a good play by them. We sort of played the percentages. Under two minutes, were they willing to give us the ball in scoring range? And that’s how they played the game. They played the game all out to win the football game. But we did some things where we’ve got to hold our look a little bit longer, and then they made a good play.”
(That part of the field, are you not considering a fake punt?) – “You go the track record of the coach of the head coach, the special teams coach, the personnel. There’s a lot of things that go into it. Once you’re ready to play, in that particular case, we’re looking to try and get a score before the end of the half and maybe not thinking the percentages are as high with where the ball was, especially under two minutes where they had played well and not wanting to maybe give us the lead there at the end of the half. But they made a good play.”
(They had a kick return in the game correct, the Lions did? What goes into the decision making to kick it short of the goal line?) – “There’s a lot of things. It’s the kicker, our coverage people, where we’re at with how much certain guys are playing on offense, defense, how fresh we are, who the returner is, what have they shown. So there’s a lot of things that go into it. We think we may have an opportunity to make a play. And then sometimes, the kick doesn’t end up exactly where you want it and that ties into people getting a return, which I think is what happened to us. So, there’s a lot of things that go into it.”
(I talked to a couple of players yesterday in the locker room who were rookies in 2019. And they said it was a really tough year, super tough coaching that happened that year. And they compared it to this year and said it’s a complete 180. QB Tua Tagovailoa has said as well that he’s had to learn to be less hard on himself, because Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s style is to be really encouraging and positive and supporting. So I’m wondering, since you have the history here and you’ve been here for a while, have you as a coach had to change the way that you interact with players or sort of do what Tua is doing and try to be less hard on himself and less hard on others?) – “No, I think, number one, you’ve got to be yourself. Especially to your point, I’ve been here. If I change who I am and how I approach the players, they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, this is not normal.’ So I think there’s a myriad of ways to do things. Everybody’s going to be themselves. And I think that’s the beautiful thing of – I’ve been in this league for over 20 years and every coach has got to be true to who he is because the players, you’re around then too much and they’re too sharp. If you try and be somebody that you’re truly not, they’re going to read right through that. So the fact of how guys are responding, that’s part of taking coaching of who’s coaching. And some guys respond to different people. And that’s part of the nuances of being a coach is you need to approach each player as an individual, not as an entire group, because certain things work with some guys that don’t work with others.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said to I think, Maria Taylor, on his NBC interview a couple of weeks ago; he said that Head Coach Mike McDaniel was the same guy throughout the losses that you guys had this year. And that was something that kind of surprised him because I think he might have been expecting some change or something because of the losses. So can you describe how McDaniel led the team through those?) – “Again, I think he was true to himself, he was true to his beliefs, understanding what was going on, was it the work, was it the performance, was it a combination and just being true to himself and belief in what he’s teaching, what we’re asking the players to do and then eventually performance you’re hoping is going to take care of itself and you get the ship righted.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 2, 2022
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Tuesday, November 2, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Just wanted to ask first, what were your thoughts on the two trades? Specifically LB Bradley Chubb? Where were you and what was going through your mind?) – “I know Mike (McDaniel) does whatever is best for the organization and I know him and Chris (Grier) had multiple conversations about deals that were going around. I think at the end of the day, those are the decisions that they came up with. And for us as a team, it’s sad to see one of our former teammates leave, but he knows and we know that it’s part of the business.”
(How does it make you feel? Because they sent a first-rounder to Denver which when it comes to drafting quarterbacks and the upcoming draft, it means they’re probably out of that. So does it make you feel supported like when you see your organization making big decisions like that to build around the team as it is right now?) – “I would say I felt supported from the time Mike (McDaniel) came in. Getting guys like Tyreek (Hill) – obviously we had Jaylen (Waddle), we had Mike Gesicki – bringing in guys like Raheem Mostert, guys that kind of understood the offense that have been with him, with Trent (Sherfield) and River (Cracraft). So I would say I felt supported before all of that.”
(I know you said it was part of the business, but Head Coach Mike McDaniel was talking about how the juice that that type of deal, those types of deals can add to a team. I mean, the locker room, your teammates – do you feel maybe today was a little more excitement even with adding a Pro Bowler like LB Bradley Chubb?) – “I think it’s always exciting when you add someone like that and someone of that caliber to our team. He’ll definitely help out our defense and with Jeff (Wilson Jr.) – I know Jeff will do as much as he can with helping us out on offense.”
(I guess we got to ask about the Bears since we won’t talk to you before then.) – “Yeah, I was just about to say the Bears are a good team as well, guys. (laughter)”
(What’s the biggest challenge in running the offense on the road versus here?) – “A lot of challenges depending on the crowd noise and for guys who haven’t played in Chicago or who haven’t set foot there, the field I would say isn’t as good as other places. So we’ll have to figure that out with the cleats that we wear and whatnot, but the weather can change as well there. It could be sunny at one point and then it could just be a downpour. It could be hot; it could be cold. Who knows? It could be windy; it could be a slight breeze. Who knows? So we’ll have to be ready for any circumstance that we’re given. But these guys are a good team and we’re looking forward to the challenge they bring to us.”
(You’ve done a good job this year of kind of taking narratives and smashing them about you and your performance and all that and I guess one of the few that’s remaining is winning in cold weather, winning in windy, bad weather. Is this kind of a focus for you this stretch? “Hey, I’ve got to prove I can play no matter the surface?”) – “I think for myself, it’s proving that I can be consistent with my play in every game. I’m not necessarily focused on whatever the weather is or whatever the climate is there. I’m just focusing on what I can do to make positive plays or help our team positively by handing the ball off 80 times or throwing it 80 times, whatever that entails.”
(What do you remember from your experiences going over there for the joint practices the start of last year and the preseason game? I know their roster has changed a lot but were there any takeaways from those experiences?) – “Yeah. The first thing that came to mind was obviously the field, the condition of the field. But being able to play against their guys, like you said, there’s a lot of guys who aren’t on the roster when we went over there for joint practices, but they still got a couple guys that are there in the back end. And like I said, we’re just looking forward to whatever challenge they bring.”
(How much does the Bears defense change without LB Roquan Smith? I’m sure – I think he was traded probably after you guys started your film study?) – “Yeah, I think it changes a lot. If you look at the film, I mean, him and Robert Quinn, they were basically the heart of the defense there. But that’s not to (discount) that the guys that are stepping in for them aren’t going to do all they can to help their team stop us or help their team make plays to get their offense the ball back. So no, I think it’s big for them, but at the same time, it’s the NFL. It’s the next man up mentality, so we know that they’ll have a good plan, regardless of who’s in.”
(Back to the trades for a second. Do you think these acquisitions make you guys Super Bowl contenders? And do you think you were Super Bowl contenders prior to the trades?) – “I think throughout OTAs and throughout training camp, we could see the potential that we had as a team offensively and defensively, and we’re not afraid to talk about Super Bowls here. We’re not afraid to talk about going to a playoff game, having an opportunity to go to one and then hopefully winning one. But yeah, if you were to ask me that, I would say I have full belief that we are capable, even with the trades that we we’ve had.”
(What did you feel for RB Chase Edmonds?) – “I mean that’s my guy. I got to spend a lot of time with him throughout the offseason and obviously through the season. It’s sad. It’s tough. But like I said, it’s part of the business. He knows that and we all understand and we all know that.”
(Your third-down passer rating is the highest since they began tracking that stat back in 1991. What do you think it is about this offense that makes your third down so able to execute on third down?) – “I think we do a really good job in practice with the scout team. The scout team gives us great looks on what their team plays on third-and-long and we’re also talking about things that could potentially come up. So if they did come up, where could we go if this doesn’t show up? So I would say we have a lot of answers for our third-down plays, whether it’s third-and-long, third-and-short, of potential coverages we could be getting.”
(You said in June that you are usually hard on yourself and Head Coach Mike McDaniel was helping you to kind of get out of that mindset. Now that we’re here in November, how would you kind of evaluate how you’ve been able to be nicer to yourself, if you have been at all? How much progress have you made there?) – “Yeah, I would say it’s mostly internally now. I don’t show it as much when I’m around (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel), but I do show it when I’m around guys that I know won’t tell me what I feel like I want to hear at times, because of how overly positive Mike is. So, I don’t know – it’s like a give or take kind of deal. Mike is overly positive, and sometimes it gets to the point where I’ve got to kind of step away from overly positive. Or if that’s the case, then I just listen to what he says, nod my head yes and then I go away and then kind of… (laughter)”
(Do you ever have to ask Head Coach Mike McDaniel to like say something real? Or not real, but tough? “Be tough with me.” Do you ever have to ask him that?) – “Yeah, but that’s not who he is. And for him, he’s not going to do something that’s not him, and he’s not going to do something just sporadical. If something really makes him mad, then you’ll see him burst out, but other than that, he’s just how he always is.”
(Who do you go to when you want someone who’s not going to be as overly positive? Who are those people?) – “Shoot, myself. (laughter) Myself, but I would also say probably (Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Darrell Bevell) ‘Bev,’ our quarterbacks coach. Yeah, ‘Bev.’ He’s not like too hard, but he’s just like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get this. There’s no other way around it.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’”
(So kind of on the same note, we’re at the halfway point, realistically, of the season. Where do you think you’ve grown the most and where do you want to see yourself grow more in the second half to make a stretch run?) – “Well, I think I’ve grown a lot with the deep balls, huh? Don’t we think? (laughter) That was probably a subtle jab, but it was a jab. (laughter) So I would say the deep ball, and then I can continue to get better on the deep ball.”
Jerome Baker – November 2, 2022
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Tuesday, November 2, 2022
LB Jerome Baker
(On adding LB Bradley Chubb and RB Jeff Wilson Jr.) – “Man, I’m excited. We’ve got some new guys coming in to help us win. I know everybody’s excited. I’m excited, too.”
(What does a move like that – what message does it send to the locker room?) – “That we’re ready to win. We’re getting guys to come in and help us win and you can’t be nothing but happy. It’s going to be exciting.”
(What’s it like when your team is the big flyer on trade deadline day?) – “It’s exciting, man. It’s cool to wake up and see your team on SportsCenter and all that, and it’s for a good reason. I’m excited. We’re all excited. I know the fans are excited and it’s going to be good one.”
(What does a guy like LB Bradley Chubb do for a guy like you?) – “Man, he’ll help me so many ways, I can’t even explain to you. He gets after the quarterback. He’s a smart guy. I know he’s cool with Dre’Mont (Jones) back in Denver, so I knew him a little bit personally, so it’s going to be exciting, man. Hopefully he just helps us win games.”
(What do you know about LB Bradley Chubb personally?) – “Well, I know a friend that knows him, so it’s going to be good and I’m looking forward to getting to know him some more.”
(Did you make that phone call right away?) – “I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t say that, but I’m going to definitely take the time to get to know him and it’s going to be all good.”
(How much can LB Bradley Chubb help this week going up against Bears QB Justin Fields, another mobile guy?) – “I mean, he can help us right now, today. So it’s going to be exciting. He can get after the pass rush. (He is a) smart guy and hope he makes some big plays for us.”
Tyreek Hill – November 2, 2022
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Wednesday, November 2, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(On the trades for LB Bradley Chubb and RB Jeff Wilson Jr.) – “I was chilling when it all happened. I’m excited for it. I’m happy to see that the GM and the head coach are very invested in this team. They really understand that every team has a window, and they see that the window is now for this team. I’m looking forward to going out and practicing with those guys. I know those guys are going to bring out a lot of energy and bring a lot of experience, especially Jeff (Wilson), being in this offense, being in a similar system in San Fran. I’m looking forward to it.”
(I know you always bring juice. Do you take that news and bring a little more juice?) – “Yeah. But I feel like I’ve been playing ball my whole life. I’m looking forward to this week.”
(We did see what you were doing yesterday when it happened and we saw your reaction. Now that you’ve had time to digest it, what do you feel like LB Bradley Chubb and RB Jeff Wilson Jr. can bring to this team, and to this locker room?) – “I’m not a defensive guy, so really can’t speak much on the defensive side of the ball. But as far as Jeff Wilson, I’ve watched a few of his games and just the explosive mindset of him being able to catch the ball out of the backfield, just the different aspects of the game when I watch him play. He’s a very special player.”
(You were in the same division as LB Bradley Chubb, so you faced him a lot. Are there any impressions that you have from going up against him?) – “Like I said, he’s a d-linemen and I’m a receiver so they are definitely two different things. He’s definitely a Pro Bowl player. I saw him at the Pro Bowl once. (He’s a) high energy guy who is going to bring a lot of experience to this team. I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
(The head coach and general manager both came out earlier today and said in so many words that we are all in on QB Tua Tagovailoa. Do you sense that the organization has fully supported him, and that there is a belief factor here?) – “You asked the two top dogs – the head coach and the GM. What are you asking me for? (laughter) I don’t sign the checks here. If they said it, obviously they’re bought into what Tua got going on right now. I feel like he’s playing at a tremendous level. He’s making me look right about everything I said about him in the offseason. There you go. The head coach and GM have said it, so everybody else needs to jump on board too with it.”
(Is there anybody that can overthrow you?) – “I don’t know. I don’t even get into that.”
(With the start that you’ve had, there are some whispers of you being in the MVP conversation. I’m not going to ask you if you think you deserve to be in the conversation, but do you think it’s possible for a wide receiver in this age to win the MVP?) – “Yeah. I think that it’s possible. For me to be in such conversations like that is just a blessing within itself. I just want to say thank God for my people, my peers and people just acknowledging me to even be in that conversation. I came from a small town, didn’t grow up with a lot. I grew up in a crazy situation. Just to be playing in the NFL every day, for me, I’ve already accomplished my dream. For me to be in the MVP conversation, that’s legacy right there for me.”
Raheem Mostert – November 2, 2022
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Wednesday, November 2, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(On RB Chase Edmonds and RB Jeff Wilson Jr.) – “First and foremost, I have to give a shoutout to Chase (Edmonds). I built a strong bond with him, and it’s always difficult when you see a teammate, a brother of yours be traded to a different team. I hope the best for him. I actually called him when I found out and we talked for a little bit. He was like, ‘Man, you’ve got to do your thing out there,’ and I said the same thing. It’s always good to know that somebody wanted him, too. So there’s a lot of positives. But with Jeff (Wilson Jr.), y’all going to get to know him. He’s a pretty cool dude. I’ve been with him for a couple years now, ever since he was a rookie. I remember when he came in undrafted and didn’t know if he was going to make the team. Me and him sat in my car and talked a little bit, because I’m an undrafted guy as well, and now look at us. We’re both still playing in the league. I gave him some words of encouragement at the time and told him, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it, bro. You’re going to be good.’ And now, it’s paying off, the hard work that he’s done thus far and have continued to do, even this year. I think he’s in the Top 20 in rushing right now, too, so right along with me. It’s always good to know that you have a brother with you that you’ve played with for some time now.”
(What is it about the mindset of undrafted guys?) – “It’s different, honestly. We’ve got a little more hunger, and we want to thrive as best as we possibly can when the opportunity presents itself, and that’s what I see in Jeff (Wilson Jr.). Every time he touches the rock, he’s always hungry and ready to go.”
(I think you were on the 2019 San Francisco 49ers team when you guys added WR Emmanuel Sanders not at the trade deadline but a little before. Can you talk about the boost it gives a locker room to know that the guys in the front office are adding and trying to go all out?) – “Yes, I mean that 2019 year, you saw what happened. You see what we did – we made it to the Super Bowl and we added Emmanuel Sanders to the roster. So it’s always good to have guys come, whether it’s on the trade deadline or a little bit before, being traded and coming to a team and just boosting our morale up even more. It’s always a good feeling knowing that we’re sitting in a good spot right now, especially at 5-3. We just have to put the pieces together, get those guys going with us and let’s see where it takes us.”
(General Manager Chris Grier called it a kumbaya moment that you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel had over the reuniting with RB Jeff Wilson Jr. What does that mean to you?) – “It was the team meeting this morning, and (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) was like, ‘Hey, we got ‘Jefe. (Jeff Wilson Jr.)’ And I was like, ‘I know we did!’ (laughter) But I’m just locked in right now on the Bears and trying to get it going with the offense and the run game. I’m excited to have Jeff be a part of the room as well, because like I said, I know what he brings to the table.”
(How would you describe RB Jeff Wilson Jr. as a runner?) – “He’s very aggressive, very physical, but he also has a little bit of wiggle to him, too. I specifically remember when we were down against the Cardinals in the fourth quarter, and he made the walk-off touchdown to win us the game. He had a choice route, and you could just see the knowledge and the skillset that he possesses in that aspect in the pass game. So it’s going to be great to have him back in, and I’m excited for him.”
