AI Summary
5 min readBest of The Ben Maller Show
The Dallas Cowboys' George Pickens showed up to mandatory minicamp in Frisco, Texas, after skipping voluntary OTAs, and told reporters he's "perfectly fine" playing the 2025 season under the franchise tag at $27.3 million fully guaranteed. He claimed he's focused on football first—something Ben Maller notes has "never been said about George Pickens"—and said he'd let his agent handle the contract. Maller's response: "Fat chance."
The Pickens charade
Maller is deeply skeptical of Pickens's sudden model-citizen routine. He calls it "cosplay" and predicts it will wear off the first time Pickens has a bad game or skips a team meeting. The fundamental problem, as Maller sees it, is that Pickens's big statistical year happened because CeeDee Lamb was injured, making Pickens the headliner by default. With Lamb healthy, Pickens's targets, catches, and yards will drop—"from the penthouse suite to the economy seating." The franchise tag paid him $27.3 million fully guaranteed, but Maller argues that was the golden opportunity for a long-term deal, and the Cowboys were right not to give him one. "Happiness is generally, if you're a receiver, directly related to how many catches and yards you have," Maller says. "Let me know when we're into October if things are still good."
Rice runs the gauntlet
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:35) **Show Open & George Pickens Franchise Tag** - Ben opens the hour with a follow-up on Cowboys WR George Pickens, who showed up to mandatory minicamp after skipping voluntary OTAs and now claims he's fine playing under the $27.3 million franchise tag.
- 2 (09:49) **Rashee Rice's Jail Release & Media Dodge** - Ben moves to the legal saga of Chiefs WR Rashee Rice, who was released from Dallas County jail after a probation violation for marijuana and then sprinted away from waiting cameras.
- 3 (16:16) **Brendan Sorsby Supplemental Draft Buzz** - Ben discusses Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby entering the NFL supplemental draft after a gambling controversy, with his old coach claiming NFL teams are already inquiring.
- 4 (23:27) **Kyle Tucker's Self-Deprecating Humor** - Ben leads with Dodgers OF Kyle Tucker's rough start and his use of self-deprecating humor about his inconsistency.
- 5 (29:55) **Yankees' Jose Caballero Pitch Clock Games** - Ben discusses MLB's guidance to Yankees utility man Jose Caballero about his pitch clock routine, requiring batters to appear "alert and engaged" by the 8-second mark.
- 6 (35:50) **Brewers' Cooper Pratt Mega-Deal Debut** - Ben covers Brewers prospect Cooper Pratt's MLB debut (0-for-3 with an error) after signing an eight-year, $50 million contract sight unseen in April.
- 7 (43:16) **Quick Hits: NFL & NBA Rumors** - Ben runs through a series of short segments: Calvin Johnson's receiving record being inevitable, 49ers TE Kyle Juszczyk claiming the team is overlooked, and Celtics potentially shopping Jaylen Brown.
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Show Notes
Big Ben talks about George Pickens saying he is good with being on the franchise tag, Dodgers OF Kyle Tucker using some self-depreciating humor when talking about his disappointing season, Maller to the Third Degree, #QueenOfHearts w/ LaReina, Password: Word Game of the Stars, and more!
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