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The guys kick off Episode 5 with locker-room fines and how players keep each other in check, before diving into Micha Parsons' return in the Cowboys–Packers game. AD thinks Dak Prescott is playing MVP ball. He also breaks down the grind of facing double teams week after week, while Matt explains how devastating it is for a young QB (Jaxson Dart) to lose his top weapon (Malik Nabors) so early in the season. Todd pulls back the curtain on how contracts, bonuses, and injuries really work, while the crew debates the impact of international games and whether they’re worth the routine shake-up. Cam Ward’s blunt honesty about losing sparks a raw conversation about leadership on struggling teams, and the panel reacts to Robert Saleh’s accusations and the heated sideline confrontation that followed. From Alabama’s big-man trick play to AD’s Defensive Player of the Week pick, the show balances football IQ with fun. The episode wraps with a rapid-fire two-minute drill, and an epic Pitt–BC helmet bet. Drop us a comment and let us know what you think!

Episode 4 of The Inner Circle Podcast hits every corner of the NFL week with Zach Klein, Matt Ryan, Aaron Donald, and Todd France. Aaron relives the surprise and emotion of having Pitt retire his No. 97, while Matt pulls back the curtain on CBS’s NFL Today 50th anniversary show, including the hilariously awkward on-air moment with Brent Musburger and the mad dash into character minutes before going live. The crew digs into Philadelphia’s unbeaten start and the belief that fuels tight wins, what Sean McVay preaches after the Rams’ collapse against the Eagles, and why Baker Mayfield’s resurgence in Tampa is the perfect marriage of culture, fit, and weapons. They tackle Atlanta’s 30–0 debacle in Carolina, the optics of Raheem Morris’s postgame demeanor, and the reality of quarterback “competition” six starts into Michael Penix’s career. There’s a sharp look at why special teams swing games and still lag in valuation, a salute to Cleveland’s defense, and flowers for Vikings DB Isaiah Rogers after a two-touchdown first half. Along the way: mustache props, viral home-gym curls, and a lively two-minute drill that ends with everyone circling marquee Week 4 matchups. Like, subscribe, and stay in the circle!

We open with Joe Burrow’s turf toe and Matt Ryan (who’s had it twice) details why it’s worse than it sounds, why surgery signals severity, and how second opinions actually work. Todd has a story about a second opinion that could have saved a life!

Would the Bengals chase a short-term QB like Kirk Cousins, or ride Jake Browning? The crew weighs cap math, timing, and locker-room dynamics.

Next: the 0–2 Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes is still Mahomes, but the WR room is thin and the QB leads the run game. How do you win ugly through a brutal first-half slate? Aaron Donald breaks down why you never sleep on 15, even with injuries piling up.

We dive into the tush push: Dean Blandino is over it, Bill Cowher wants it gone, and Matt/AD explain why it’s a rugby-style scrum that’s hard to officiate, but beatable with the right plan. Down in South Florida, the Dolphins’ late-game penalties and “communication issues” scream indecision and why leadership and body language matter in crunch time.

Plus: Brandon Aubrey’s long-range heroics and how elite kickers shift win probability; Todd France on making Tyler Smith the highest-paid guard in NFL history (what O-line comps really look like); Real Talk on postgame quotes; AD’s “99 Problems”; and a rapid-fire Two-Minute Drill.