
Nov 7, 2026 · 1h 9m
Jaguars rise as NFL contenders while Cowboys weigh a risky trade
Trade Deadline Looming, All-Time WR Duos, and Is Emmitt Smith a Top 10 All-Time RB?
The episode connects immediate trade-deadline decisions with larger questions about quarterback value, team-building, and football legacy.
- 1Jacksonville’s balanced roster and Trevor Lawrence’s improved play make the Jaguars a credible AFC contender.
- 2A slipping Dallas season could turn George Pickens from offensive centerpiece into valuable trade capital.
- 3Emmitt Smith’s durability and decade of elite production keep him in the all-time running-back top ten debate.
Don't miss
Max Kellerman concludes that Emmitt Smith’s decade of elite production and durability makes him a necessary top-ten running back, even if his exact rank remains debatable.
The brief
Tom Pelissero joins Max Kellerman to preview the NFL trade deadline, with Jacksonville’s rise and Trevor Lawrence’s best stretch framing the league’s shifting contender picture.
The NFC East supplies the episode’s immediate tension: quarterback uncertainty, deadline needs, and whether Dallas should move George Pickens if its season slips further.
Max argues backup quarterbacks will become increasingly valuable, but Pelissero pushes back on an in-season Justin Herbert trade and describes Kirk Cousins as a complicated option.
The discussion widens from roster construction to history, comparing Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with great receiver duos and testing Emmitt Smith’s place among elite backs.
Smith’s decade of top-level production and durability ultimately outweighs the case against him, while LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant anchor the NBA discussion.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.