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.

📺 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@InMyDefensePod/?sub_confirmation=1

🔗 https://www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod

🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.

Follow the hosts:

Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99

Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1

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

• 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

• 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?

• 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

• 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

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Episode 23 of In My Defense is titled “Chess Not Checkers” — because Super Bowl 60 was a straight-up coaching clinic.

Canty & Que start with Valentine’s Day plans (first Valentine’s as a dad!) and how the hosts are balancing love, life, and fatherhood — then it’s right into the league’s biggest stage.

Super Bowl 60 Recap

The Seattle Seahawks are champs after a 29–13 win over New England, and Canty explains why the game wasn’t “boring” — it was strategy. Mike McDonald broke tendencies, brought pressure Seattle normally doesn’t, and the Seahawks defense controlled the entire script.

Draft Class Debates

• If you’re starting a franchise today, which QB from the 2024 draft class are you building around?
• Re-ranking the 2018 QB class now that Sam Darnold has a ring, and what that changes about the legacy conversation.

Looking Ahead

• Canty gives his Top 5 teams that can make Super Bowl 61, plus one sleeper that’s “one move away.”

Nothing’s personal… but In My Defense.

00:00 On Today’s Episode

00:20 Start

01:01 Bad Bunny halftime show reaction

01:51 Bad Bunny vs Michael Jackson halftime comparison

04:13 Stefon Diggs loses a ring and Cardi B

04:44 Canty’s Valentine’s plans as a first-time dad

06:04 Que’s Valentine’s Day plans

07:09 Super Bowl 60 recap begins

07:30 Canty’s thoughts on SB 60

09:17 John Schneider built a winner in Seattle

10:28 Sam Darnold & Rashid Shaheed impact discussion

14:06 Patriots will be back – Vrabel’s leadership

17:08 Did Kendrick retire Drake?

17:54 Which QB from the 2024 Draft Class would you build around?

18:25 Most talented QB – Jayden Daniels

19:23 If coaching is right, give me Caleb Williams

20:23 Don’t forget Bo Nix was a play away from the Super Bowl

21:59 Ranking the 2018 QB Draft Class

24:37 Don’t sleep on Sam Darnold – redemption arc

26:46 The 20-year Super Bowl revenge curse

28:27 SB 61 logo conspiracy talk

29:17 99 Problems – Top 5 teams to make Super Bowl 61

29:44 #5 LA Chargers

30:32 #4 Denver Broncos

30:59 #3 New England Patriots

31:07 #2 Chicago Bears

32:02 #1 Seattle Seahawks

32:18 Is one move away enough to win it all?

33:41 Canty says the Ravens may be that team

35:46 Wins & Losses begin

36:04 Canty’s Loss – Moussa Diabaté

36:37 Isaiah Stewart family portrait moment

36:53 Que’s Loss – Vikings, DK Metcalf, Justin Jefferson

38:10 Canty’s Win – Sam Darnold's redemption season

40:06 Closing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 21 of In My Defense is titled “Overqualified” because sometimes being the greatest still isn’t enough.

Canty and Que open with the shocking news that Bill Belichick was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot, despite six Super Bowl titles, decades of dominance, and reshaping modern football. Canty explains why this feels less like accountability and more like Hall of Fame politics, and why history can’t be told without Belichick’s name.

Then the conversation shifts to the NBA, where Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are heating up as Milwaukee spirals. The guys break down why the Bucks have no leverage, which teams make sense, and whether Minnesota, New York, or another contender should push all their chips in.

Other topics include:

• Shedeur Sanders making the Pro Bowl — business move or real validation?

• Patriots vs Seahawks — Super Bowl storyline déjà vu

• Coach of the Year & MVP predictions

• What “overqualified” really means in sports and legacy conversations

Nothing’s personal… but In My Defense.

🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday

🔗 www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.

Follow the hosts:

Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99

Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1

From sports and culture to business and everyday life, Chris and Que bring bold opinions, thoughtful analysis, and honest conversation, always with humor, heart, and real talk.

00:00 – Welcome to the In My Defense Podcast

03:07 – Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors 🔥

10:52 – Hall of Fame debate: Bill Belichick & first-ballot controversy

19:53 – Pro Bowl scheduling: Does anyone still care?

24:37 – Super Bowl matchup set: Patriots vs. Seahawks

26:24 – Most Valuable Player (MVP) discussion

26:53 – Coach of the Year debate

29:39 – Wins & Losses of the Week

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 18 of In My Defense is titled “Special Delivery” — because the biggest win of the week didn’t happen on the field… it happened at home.

Que opens with the big announcement: Canty and Mel welcomed Baby Canty, and Que gives Canty real fatherhood talk — the job you can’t get fired from, the pressure you won’t get praised for, and the consistency that makes the difference.

Then it’s straight into 99 Problems, breaking down Wild Card Weekend:

• Rams vs Panthers — Can Stafford avoid the turnovers, or does Bryce Young run it back?
• Packers vs Bears — offense vs takeaway defense, and why Jordan Love has to be elite
• Bills vs Jaguars — legacy game for Josh Allen with “none of the kings” in the way
• 49ers vs Eagles — attrition football, trenches decide everything
• Chargers vs Patriots — Herbert vs Drake May, and the “sacks watch” matchup
• Steelers vs Texans — why Houston’s defense is built for this moment

They close with Wins & Losses, including Que’s loss for the week (Ravens heartbreak) and the biggest win of all: Canty becoming a father.

Nothing’s personal… but In My Defense.

🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday

🔗 www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod

📺 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@InMyDefensePod/?sub_confirmation=1

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube

Follow the hosts:

Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99

Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1

From sports and culture to business and everyday life, Chris and Que bring bold opinions, thoughtful analysis, and honest conversation, always with humor, heart, and real talk.

• 00:00 Start
• 00:19 Intro
• 01:05 Big announcement – Canty welcomes his baby
• 01:34 Que gives fatherly advice to Canty
• 02:45 99 Problems segment begins
• 03:01 Rams vs Panthers – matchup breakdown
• 04:17 Packers vs Bears – NFC North battle
• 05:52 Bills vs Jaguars – who needs it more?
• 07:03 49ers vs Eagles – heavyweight showdown
• 08:03 Chargers vs Patriots – contrasting directions
• 09:43 Steelers vs Texans – key matchup preview
• 10:32 Wins & Losses of the week
• 10:45 Que’s Loss – Baltimore Ravens
• 12:06 Canty’s Win – Becoming a father
• 12:26 Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.