Jon Gruden, Kyler Murray Named Vikings Starter, Mt Rushmore Of Purple Things + Pardon Your Take
August 12, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"Kyler Murray has won the starting job in Minnesota for all the nine believers out there." That is the opening premise of this episode of Pardon My Take, a deliberately absurd bit of trolling that sets the tone for a sprawling conversation about NFL training camps, quarterback controversies, and the eternal search for a good Mount Rushmore of purple things. The hosts, Big Cat and PFT Commenter, along with their crew, use the fictional premise of Kyler Murray (the Arizona Cardinals' quarterback) beating out J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings' starting job to launch into a deep discussion about the NFL's quarterback economy, the psychology of coaching, and the specific weirdness of the 2026 season.
The Quarterback Carousel and the "Sunk Cost" Trap
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:04) **Kyler Murray Wins Vikings Starting Job & JJ McCarthy Trade Destinations** - The hosts react to Kyler Murray beating out JJ McCarthy for the Vikings QB1 role and speculate on where McCarthy might land.
- 2 (10:09) **Todd Monken Accidentally Admits Shadeur Sanders is Better** - The Browns OC accidentally implies Deshaun Watson is worse than Shadeur Sanders during a press conference.
- 3 (12:26) **Kobe Bryant's Injury Timeline & Jail for False Reports** - PFT rants about the misleading reporting on Bears rookie Kobe Bryant's injury, calling for punishment for journalists who get timelines wrong.
- 4 (14:34) **NBA Schedule Release & Christmas Day NFL Takeover** - The hosts react to the NBA releasing its schedule, including a 2 PM game on opening day and the NFL dominating Christmas.
- 5 (21:43) **USA Today's Hot Seat Coach Rankings** - The hosts break down USA Today's list of the top 10 NFL coaches on the hot seat, debating the accuracy of the rankings.
- 6 (31:43) **Hot Seat: Tulsa Little League Scandal & Golf Cheater** - The hosts share their hot seat and cool throne picks, including a cheating scandal in Little League and a fake hole-in-one in a golf tournament.
- 7 (62:46) **Mount Rushmore of Purple Things** - The hosts draft a Mount Rushmore of purple things in honor of JJ McCarthy's Vikings tenure.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Kyler Murray is the starter for the Vikings and we talk about what this means for JJ McCarthy and potential landing spots (00:00:00-00:14:26). Coaches on the hot seat, training camp injuries, the NBA released their schedule and more (00:14:26-00:30:21). Hot Seat/Cool Throne including a crazy golf cheating story, max gets confused and Halloween World Series (00:30:21-01:01:23). Mt Rushmore of purple things (01:01:23-01:19:36). Coach Gruden joins the show to get us ready for football, teams he likes, coaching wisdom he learned throughout the years and more (01:19:36-02:09:28). We finish with listener submitted Pardon Your Take questions
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