The Franchise | NFL Tag Window Opens, NBA MVP Chaos & 5 NBA Finals Contenders

Episode 25 of In My Defense is titled “The Franchise.” We start with the NFL’s most controversial power tool: the franchise tag. Between February 17 and March 3 (4 p.m. ET deadline), teams can tag pending unrestricted free agents, locking them in for one year at a top-five salary average. Is it smart business… or suppressed leverage? Canty and Que break down what it really feels like to be tagged and why players hate it.

Franchise Tag Talk

• Why does no player want it
• Risk vs reward
• Breece Hall, George Pickens, Kyle Pitts implications
• Why the tag isn’t going anywhere

NBA MVP Race (Late Feb 2026)

• It’s a four-person sprint: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | Nikola Jokic (DEN) | Cade Cunningham (DET) | Victor Wembanyama (SAS). Que has a Dark horse that everyone needs to start mentioning!
• The 65-game eligibility rule could decide the race. If availability is value… who really deserves it?

5 Teams That Can Win the NBA Finals

1. Boston Celtics
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Detroit Pistons
5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Plus: DMV nightmares, James Harden unlocking Jarrett Allen, and Wins & Losses.

Nothing’s personal… but In My Defense.

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Follow the hosts:

Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99

Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1

Episode — Franchise Tag Debate, NBA MVP Race & Wins/Losses

• 00:00 – Episode Preview
• 00:12 – Intro

First Whistle: NFL Franchise Tag Debate

• 03:30 – Franchise Tag Begins
• 03:53 – What It Feels Like to Be Tagged
• 05:13 – Is the 1993 Rule Unfair?
• 05:51 – Billionaires vs. “Thousandaires”
• 07:13 – Players Who Bet on Themselves (Revis, Cousins)
• 08:36 – Business Perspective on the Tag
• 09:15 – Benefits for Players vs. Owners
• 10:19 – “It Will Never Change” Canty

NBA MVP Race Debate

• 14:34 – Who’s Your NBA MVP?
• 14:45 – 3-Man Race: SGA, Wemby, Cade Cunningham
• 17:23 – 65-Game Rule Hurting Legacies?
• 19:34 – Dark Horse MVP: Jaylen Brown
• 20:25 – Celtics Without Tatum – Is JB the Real MVP?

NBA Finals Predictions

• 24:20 – 5 Teams That Could Make the Finals
• 24:26 – Knicks, Celtics, Pistons, Spurs
• 25:02 – James Harden Unlocking Jarrett Allen
• 25:30 – Harden’s History with Elite Bigs

Wins & Losses

• 26:48 – Wins & Losses Begin
• 27:01 – Canty’s Win: USA Men’s Hockey Gold
• 27:35 – Canty’s Loss: USA Men Not Backing Women’s Team
• 30:30 – Que’s Win: LeBron 40K Points
• 31:21 – Que’s Loss: DeAndre Ayton vs. Clint Capela
• 32:29 – Outro

🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday 🔗 www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@InMyDefensePod
Follow the hosts:Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1

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