Summary of 3 & Out - NFL League Meetings Reaction Day 2: MNF Doubleheaders are no more, Thanksgiving Eve Games, NFL Flag Football

Overview of 3 & Out - NFL League Meetings Reaction Day 2: MNF Doubleheaders are no more, Thanksgiving Eve Games, NFL Flag Football

Host John Middlekauff (The Volume / iHeartPodcasts) reacts to Day 2 of the NFL owners’/league meetings. The episode covers the NFL’s decision to end Monday Night Football doubleheaders, the league’s growing push into flag football (and why pro players likely won’t participate), scheduling changes including more Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve) games, coaching/family dynasties, draft evaluation themes (character vs. upside), a few roster/contract market stories (Juwan Jennings, Odell Beckham, Anthony Richardson), and oddities out of the meetings (e.g., Lions’ signing-bonus clawback policy, Todd Monken haircut photo miss).

Key topics and takeaways

• NFL scraps Monday Night Football doubleheaders

  • Middlekauff calls it “outthinking the room” — doubleheaders diluted the Monday-night product and staggered starts made the viewing experience poor for most fans. League will pivot away from doubleheaders and repurpose those games elsewhere.
  • Expect expansion of early-morning international slates over time (6:30 local kickoffs for overseas windows), which could become regular packages in future years.

• NFL flag football push — pro players likely to sit out

  • League investing in flag football as a growth product (Olympics/grassroots appeal).
  • Coaches and GMs (Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur) concerned about injury risk for high-paid players. Middlekauff expects NFL stars will largely be kept out of official flag events.

• Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday) games becoming normal

  • The league sees opportunity on Wednesday night (many people off or winding down). Expect more games on the night before Thanksgiving going forward, with schedule adjustments (bye positioning/short weeks) to accommodate player health.

• Aaron Rodgers / Steelers & Will Howard speculation

  • McCarthy reportedly spoke to Rodgers; Middlekauff thinks a 2026 move to Pittsburgh is a plausible bet.
  • Will Howard praised by Rodgers and Mike McCarthy — likely to have a role as Rodgers’ backup in Pittsburgh and could get meaningful snaps in 2026.

• Lions’ ownership policy (signing-bonus clawbacks) criticized

  • Middlekauff calls the Lions’ demand that early-retiring/injured players pay back signing-bonus money “a bad look” and archaic, despite the franchise’s recent on-field turnaround under Brad Holmes / Dan Campbell.

• Coaching family/nepotism advantage

  • Deep dive on how family football backgrounds (Shanahan, Harbaugh, Sean McVay lineage, Dan Hurley in college basketball) provide practical, cumulative advantages — early exposure, mentorship and contacts that aren’t replicated in a classroom.

• Draft and character evaluation

  • Teams weigh upside vs. character risk; some high-upside “character” players can become leaders (examples discussed: Travis Kelce, Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu), while some never get fixed.
  • “How a player is wired” — attitude, maturity and how they behave off-field/socially often makes or breaks their draft stock and NFL opportunities.

• Player market / free-agent anecdotes

  • Juwan Jennings remains unsigned — Middlekauff uses it to illustrate players who overvalue their market.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. likely to return to Giants on a low-risk deal; players with diminished leverage often accept veterans’ minimums with incentives.
  • Anthony Richardson reportedly asked for a trade but has little market interest; Justin Fields praised by Andy Reid as more than a gadget player — could have a path to start depending on Mahomes’ health.

• Meeting oddities and color

  • Todd Monken missed the coaches’ photo because he was getting a haircut — funny anecdote and a reminder of how fleeting some coaching opportunities are.
  • Other nuggets: coaches’ day-to-day grind (LaFleur, Shanahan comments); the importance of reputation and conduct.

Notable quotes & insights

• “Outthinking the room” — doubleheaders were an example of trying to be clever and diluting what worked.
• “Everything you do — how you meet, how you take a rep, how you act on campus — everything matters.” — a theme repeated about character and habits mattering in evaluation and development.
• On flag football: coaches expressed they’d be “surprised” if NFL stars participated widely due to injury risk and differing skill sets required.
• On the draft: teams often take chances on players with red flags because the upside can be franchise-changing — but it’s a calculated gamble.

Examples & context referenced

• Draft conversion examples: players who fell for off-field issues but became leaders (Travis Kelce, Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu) — used to explain why teams still take chances on “character” guys.
• Lions’ historical examples (Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson) used to contextualize how signing-bonus recoupment practices feel tone-deaf relative to the players’ service.
• Rodgers → McCarthy → Will Howard pipeline suggests organizational interest in Howard as a backup/in-development QB if Rodgers lands in Pittsburgh.

Implications — what this means for fans, teams and players

• TV/viewing: fewer Monday doubleheaders simplifies primetime viewing; expect more targeted packages (international mornings, Wednesday nights) as the NFL monetizes different windows.
• Player safety vs. growth products: the league will push flag football as a growth vehicle but preserve its marquee player assets for tackle football.
• Draft & roster building: teams will continue to balance character risk vs. upside; organizations with better developmental culture can turn risky picks into stars.
• Free-agent market: players who misread their market risk being unsigned until values collapse; teams can capitalize late in free agency for bargain pickups.

Things to watch next

• Official 2025/2026 prime-time schedule changes — disappearance of MNF doubleheaders and how those games are redistributed.
• Flag football rosters and whether the NFL moves forward with events tied to the Olympics or other showcases — and whether any marquee pros sign on.
• Aaron Rodgers trade/contract developments and Pittsburgh’s QB room (Will Howard’s role).
• Free-agent market movement for Juwan Jennings, Odell Beckham Jr., and other veterans still unsigned.
• Draft-day conversations and which “character-risk” players get drafted and where — plus how teams articulate their development plans.

If you want the short version: MNF doubleheaders are gone (goodbye diluted Mondays), flag football will be a league growth play but not a field day for NFL stars, expect more Thanksgiving-Eve football, and the league/teams continue to weigh character vs. upside when drafting and signing players — with plenty of drama in free agency and the meeting-room politics to come.