Most offseason acquisitions are going to bring some change to their new teams. There's a reason why their new teams went out and got them, after all. A select few of those acquisitions, however, aren't simply going to bring a little change. They're going to completely change their new team's DNA on their side of the ball, opening up an entirely different style of play and new look for the unit. Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman run through their top DNA changers for the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

5:30 Cam Bynum

12:14 Poona Ford

19:47 Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga

28:54 Haason Reddick

34:30 Will Fries and Ryan Kelly

41:44 Omarion Hampton

48:42 Andre Cisco

57:23 Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

1:06:03 Armand Membou

Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

A whole lot has happened during the first week of training camp. A bunch of good players got contract extensions. Injuries are unfortunately already changing plans across the league. Storylines are emerging, and not all of them are your usual July camp silliness. Some of them are worth digging into! Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman round up the first week of training camp news on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Every NFL season is important to every person in the league. But we know that some players, coaches and executives have more at stake in any given season than others. So who has the most at stake in 2025? Robert Mays and Dave Helman answer that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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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.

The best teams in the league can keep their secret sauce secret for only so long. Teams are always hunting for an edge wherever they can find it, and it's never been easier to tap into how other teams are finding success. That's especially true on the offensive side of the ball, where you are holding the pen more often than not. So what can we learn from the best offenses in the league? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen are joined by Bobby Peters, owner and operator of the Alert the Post Substack, to answer that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen

With: Bobby Peters

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Robert Mays' Homeric tour of the NFL world is underway, with stops across the previous week in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Diego. While there, he spoke with Colton Pouncy, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota, The Athletic's beat writers for the Lions, Chargers and Cowboys, respectively. How will the Lions handle the brain drain? Where can the Chargers find more juice on offense? How do the Cowboys feel different under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show

Host: Robert Mays

With: Colton Pouncy, Daniel Popper, Jon Machota

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

It's easy to overlook second-year players who A) didn't have huge rookie seasons, or B) aren't quarterbacks. But you don't have to be Jayden Daniels or Malik Nabers or Jared Verse to be an X-factor for your team—and, by extension, the league—in your second season. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight six sneaky second-year X-factors on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

6:22 Any second-year Falcons defensive lineman

13:16 Christian Mahogany, Lions LG

20:37 Cole Bishop, Bills S

26:56 Kris Jenkins, Bengals DT

36:51 Renardo Green, 49ers CB

44:34 Blake Fisher, Texans RT

Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

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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.

There's a temptation to believe that surprise teams from the previous season are on a clear upward trajectory. But we know that isn't always true. Just ask the 2022-23 Giants or 2021-22 Raiders. Four of last year's playoff teams significantly outperformed preseason expectations and made the playoffs: the Commanders, Chargers, Broncos and Vikings. Is the arrow really pointing up for those teams? Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen break it down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

6:07 Washington Commanders

21:19 Los Angeles Chargers

35:41 Denver Broncos

53:40 Minnesota Vikings

Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen

With: Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @robertmays

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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.

Take a moment to think about the unexpected developments that helped define the 2024 NFL season. The Washington Commanders going to the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers missing the playoffs entirely. Jared Verse immediately taking the league by storm. Saquon Barkley changing teams and having a season for the ages. Each of those was a huge story last year that was felt across the league. What might be the 2025 versions of those stories? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen

With: Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @robertmays

Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass

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.