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This week we begin with Aaron taking us inside the NFC Championship game and the experience from a retired player’s perspective. Standing for the anthem, feeling the jitters return, and describing that split-second “I could still do this” rush that never really leaves. He reacts to the Rams coming up just short, what it feels like to be that close to the Super Bowl, and why those final red-zone moments decide everything in January. AD also gives Seattle credit for what they did well, from matchup creation to poise under pressure, and he explains what he saw in quarterback Sam Darnold that earned his respect.

From there, the conversation turns to the biggest question in Los Angeles: what’s next for Matthew Stafford? After an MVP-caliber season and a heartbreaking playoff loss, is Stafford coming back for one more run? AD shares the real factors that go into retirement. Todd adds the front-office reality: there’s no dramatic “paperwork deadline” with the league, but teams need honest communication so they can plan for every scenario. Zach presses on timelines, roster-building, and how a franchise prepares for the future at the most important position in sports.

Then the episode pivots into a fascinating breakdown of NFL contract incentives, sparked by the bonus structure in Sam Darnold’s deal. Should incentives become more common moving forward—and should they extend beyond quarterbacks? Zach raises the idea of position-specific triggers (even for kickers), while Todd explains how incentives really function in negotiations. His bottom line: the priority is always “real money” and guarantees first, with incentives as the extra layer—not the foundation. Plus: a candid look at Senior Bowl week, the nonstop NFL calendar, pre-Super Bowl week chaos, and a quick debate on Pro Bowl vs. All-Pro that reveals how reputation, voting, and legacy actually get shaped.

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Matt Ryan is officially off the Inner Circle Podcast roster and on the clock full-time as the Falcons’ president of football, so Zach Klein, Aaron Donald and Todd France keep the show moving the only way you can when a heavyweight exits: bring in another one.

This week’s guest is Jim Nagy, the former NFL scout and longtime personnel voice who ran the Senior Bowl and is now coming up on a year as the general manager at Oklahoma. And if you think the NFL front office life is intense, Nagy makes it clear college football is a different animal right now. His first transfer portal run at OU? Successful, chaotic, but successful. He explains how they went in with an actual plan, hosted 11 guys that first weekend, landed 10, then used the rest of the portal to build depth and chase developmental upside.

The eye-opener is the workload and the money side. Nagy walks through renegotiating roughly 80 contracts (and well over 100 if you count freshmen), which is a volume most NFL teams don’t sniff in a year. He explains why the college GM job never really shuts off, how roster retention starts before the season even ends, and why the portal creates pressure because there’s no draft safety net if you miss on a need.

Then it gets into the real headache: setting a price when there’s no scoreboard. In the NFL, you know the ranges. In college, Nagy says you’re basically throwing a dart because there’s no transparency in what players are getting paid. He talks about calling other GMs just to find a starting point, why that’s an imperfect system, and how a rookie wage scale and more salary visibility could clean up some of the chaos and prevent an upside-down roster where freshmen are making more than the guys actually winning games.

You’ll also hear how Oklahoma is trying to run a true NFL model, not just hand out a GM title. Nagy details the 10-person scouting staff, the grading system, and the weekly discrepancy meetings where scouts and coaches hash out disagreements instead of forcing a fit. The goal is simple: cut the clutter, get coaches more time with their players, and build a roster that can actually survive the SEC grind.

And because it’s Jim Nagy, the Senior Bowl stories hit too. Aaron Donald revisits Mobile as the proving ground that helped launch his NFL arc, and Nagy explains why teams value the interview process and the competitiveness lens more than ever. You’ll get the behind-the-scenes reality of agents pulling players late, the Braden Fiske story that sounds made up until you realize it’s not, and the ultimate example of what that week can do for a player: Quinn Meinerz going from Division III unknown to one of the league’s top-paid guards.

It’s smart football talk with just enough edge to match the moment: college football is pro football now… it’s just missing the rules.

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The Inner Circle is back for the first show of 2026 — and it’s loaded.

It's a wide-ranging, behind-the-curtain episode that hits the two biggest engines in football right now: the NFL postseason grind and the chaos of modern college “free agency.” First, AD breaks down the debate every contender faces in Week 18: rest vs. rust. Using the Eagles as the jumping-off point, he explains how players feel when coaches sit starters, why veteran teams handle it differently than young rosters, and what matters more once you’re “in the dance” — seedings, travel, or simply being healthy and ready to roll.

From there, the conversation turns to incentives and the uncomfortable reality that business decisions can clash with personal milestones. Todd details how those conversations actually happen when a player is sitting just short of a bonus, and AD adds a blunt, hilarious perspective on what changes when the incentive is truly life-changing.

Then it’s time for flowers: AD gives major respect to Myles Garrett’s monster sack season, including the nuance of doing it on a team that wasn’t winning, the “asterisk” talk around 17 games, and why he believes production is production in today’s NFL.

Finally, Todd takes listeners inside his wildest season: NIL + the transfer portal. He explains what it’s like getting flooded with calls from GMs, coaches, and staffers, why “NIL” has basically become college free agency, and how many reported deals are structured in ways fans don’t realize. Zach and Todd even play a rapid-fire “cost of doing business” game by position — from quarterbacks to edge rushers to offensive tackles — and Todd makes it clear: the real numbers can be jaw-dropping.

Plus, a fascinating look ahead at the NFL Draft pipeline: training facilities, combine prep, speed work, interview prep, and what prospects don’t know until they live it.

Appreciate you being part of the Inner Circle family and thanks for listening!

https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod

https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806