The Inner Circle

Aaron Donald, Matt Ryan, Todd France and Zach Klein
  • 5.0 (24)
  • FOOTBALL

A new era of conversations. Real access, untold stories, and behind the scenes perspectives from those who played the game, cover it, and shape it.

  1. JAN 28

    Aaron Donald Gets the Jitters Back and the Future of Matthew Stafford

    Send us a text 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. https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    41 min

  2. JAN 21

    Jim Nagy - GM Oklahoma Sooners and former Executive Director of Senior Bowl

    Send us a text 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. https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    50 min

  3. JAN 7

    COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S MONEY WAR

    Send us a text 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

    50 min

  4. 12/24/2025

    ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit joins The Inner Circle

    Send us a text ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit (“Herbie”) joins The Inner Circle for a wide-ranging, funny, and surprisingly personal conversation about what it really takes to stay elite in sports media for three decades and why preparation is still his “superpower.” We open with a full-circle moment: Aaron Donald brings up the Herbie trophy Kirk sent him after AD’s monster 2013 season at Pitt, and the guys have some fun reliving it—before Matt Ryan jumps in with a classic gripe: “Hold on… when did these Herbies start? Because I never got one.”  Kirk breaks down his non-stop grind—Saturday night ABC primetime, quick turnaround into Thursday Night Football prep, then back to College GameDay and another ESPN/ABC marquee game. It’s Zooms with coaches, film study, producers asking for tape, and a constant mental switch between NFL and college—because if he’s awake, he’s preparing. Matt digs into the craft: studio analyst vs. game analyst, how you compartmentalize prep, and why there’s an art to being critical without being malicious. Kirk gets real about the direction of sports TV—how loud, clickbait culture has changed the industry—and draws a hard line: he’ll never tear people down just to go viral. Instead, he explains how to critique a QB who threw picks by telling the truth through the lens of what the defense did. We also get college-football-tour gold: Kirk compares NFL vs. college energy, shouts out towns like Athens and Oxford, and shares some favorite “off-the-beaten-path” GameDay stops (hello, Fargo). The episode closes on a warm note with Matt sharing why Kirk’s support during his twins’ birth meant so much—plus a holiday sign-off from the whole crew. Happy holidays and much love from the Inner Circle!  https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    36 min

  5. 12/16/2025

    Mahomes and Micah Injuries: Real Talk on Depth, Leadership and Survival

    Send us a text This week on The Inner Circle Podcast, the crew hits on the real stuff that defines an NFL season: timing, health, and the thin line between “next man up” and “everything just changed.” We open with the brutal injury news rocking the league — headlined by Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL and Micah Parsons going down at the worst possible time. Aaron Donald and Matt Ryan break down what those losses do beyond the stat sheet: the immediate hit to a locker room’s confidence, the ripple effect on coaches trying to adjust a game plan overnight, and the pressure it puts on everyone else to “do a little bit more.” Todd France adds the roster-building reality from a GM/agent lens — how depth gets tested, how teams actually evaluate medical timelines now, and why a clean ACL today is viewed differently than it was a decade ago. Then the conversation turns into a fascinating “could he really?” debate: Philip Rivers coming off the couch to play — 1,800 days after his last start — and what that says about relationships, terminology, and having the right plan. That sparks Todd’s question for Matt: could he do it for one game? Matt gives an honest, hilarious, and surprisingly human answer about the difference between being in shape and being game-ready. We also dig into the league-wide rash of major injuries — ACLs, Achilles, calf issues — and whether it’s just football being football or something bigger. From cleats to surfaces to data tracking, the guys pull back the curtain on what teams are actually doing to keep players healthy (and why the sport still demands a physical price). Plus: a funny, relatable detour into memorabilia and family life, where game balls and helmets somehow end up as kids’ toys — and AD tells the story of the “touchdown” that got taken away… even though the ball still lives in his house. Tap in, hit like and subscribe, and join the Inner Circle fam. Thanks as always for the live and taking the time to listen https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    45 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    Dan Lanning - Oregon Ducks Head Coach

    Send us a text Dan Lanning went from grad assistant chasing Aaron Donald around at Pitt… to one of the hottest head coaches in college football. In this episode of The Inner Circle Podcast, the guys pull him inside the circle for a brutally honest, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation. Lanning kicks things off with the real AD origin story — including the scout-team quarterback whose collarbone paid the price for a new zone-read scheme. From there, he explains the one mistake he made last year getting Oregon ready for Ohio State in the Playoff and how he’s fixing it this time as the Ducks prep for James Madison. The guys dig into how Lanning structures extended Playoff prep, why you can’t give players two weeks of over-coaching, and how he uses Tony Dungy’s Super Bowl approach to keep things fresh. He also opens up on reinventing himself at every stop – Pitt, Arizona State, Georgia, Oregon – and why empowering his staff (instead of micromanaging every decision) changed everything. Then it gets real: Lanning shares how his wife’s cancer battle and moving his kids across eight states reshaped his goals, why “NFL head coach” came off his mirror, and why he’s determined Oregon will be his last job. His new scoreboard? Passing Mike Bellotti as the Ducks’ all-time wins leader and finally bringing a national title to Eugene. Of course, this is Oregon, so there’s sneaker talk: Nike perks, favorite Jordan 3s, Grateful Dead Air Force One's, and why he still rides daily in Cortez’s. Later, the crew pivots to the wild world of NIL and the transfer portal — money vs. fit, real development vs. chasing the biggest bag, and how bad advice from the wrong “agent” can wreck a kid’s career. AD and Matt share how money would’ve changed them at 18, and why hard work and the right situation still print the biggest checks. Plus: Daniel Jones’ brutal injury in Indy, AD shamelessly recruiting Matt Ryan out of “retirement,” and Aaron’s search for a truly dominant interior D-lineman as he crowns Jeffery Simmons (again) as his Player of the Week. Lock in, hit follow, and step inside the circle. https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    53 min

  7. 12/03/2025

    Trash Talk, Short Weeks, Chasing Rings and Who Really Scares the NFC

    Send us a text Weight checks, trash talk and playoff dreams collide on Episode 14 of The Inner Circle Podcast for an hour that feels like hanging in the locker room after a win. The guys open with the scale – literally. AD reveals he’s back near his playing weight on a one-meal-a-day routine, triggering a hilarious deep dive into NFL weigh-ins, “golden gobbler” Thanksgiving awards, weight clauses, fines, and the very real mind games players have with that number on Tuesday mornings. Matt explains how veterans earn the right to play at “their” weight, while Todd breaks down how contracts and guarantees quietly shape those decisions behind the scenes. From there, they pivot to the field: Dak’s Cowboys, statement wins over the Eagles and Chiefs, and whether momentum is real or just talk. Matt and AD take listeners inside a short week in the NFL — the walkthrough pace, IVs, cold tubs, late-night installs and why Thursday nights feel so different when the lights finally come on. The crew then dives into Adam Thielen’s late-career bid to chase a ring after being waived by the Vikings: where loyalty ends, business begins, and how vets quietly line up landing spots before asking out. That leads seamlessly into “the art of trash talking” — from Spitgate, “I’ll take your mom to seafood dinner,” and Jeffrey Simmons’ fury, to what really happens at the bottom of piles and why the best chirps never leave the field. They close on playoff positioning, why nobody’s terrified of the No. 1-seed Bears just yet, AD’s bold Micah Parsons Defensive Player of the Year call, a Chicago vs. New York pizza fight, and a running bit about everyone’s “official” show weigh-in. Football, ego, pain and comedy — all in one episode. Thanks for the love and we appreciate your support! https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    48 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    Jon Gruden joins The Inner Circle

    Send us a text Super Bowl–winning head coach Jon Gruden jumps into the Inner Circle for a no-BS masterclass in real football. At 62, he’s still living like an NFL coach.. in the office early, two servers full of tape, grading quarterbacks on feet, decisions and every throw. and he’s not shy about what’s gone wrong with today’s game. Gruden and Matt go deep on what truly separates great quarterbacks from the rest: protections, communication and timing. They tie Rich Gannon’s late-career breakout in Oakland to what we’re seeing now from Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones — and why fit, coaching and system can either bury a QB or unlock him. Gruden breaks down his famous R-C-E mantra (Recognize, Communicate, Execute), trashes lazy pass protection, and explains why he hates wristband quarterbacks and RPOs being labeled “play-action.” Then it’s Aaron Donald time. Gruden calls AD’s Senior Bowl “the greatest I’ve ever seen,” compares him to Reggie White and Warren Sapp, and jokes teams should call him “Burger King” because “he has it his way” with offensive guards. AD answers with how he studied formations, exploited tendencies, handled double and triple teams, and why the game slowed down once he mastered film. AD also pulls back the curtain on Sean McVay’s arrival in L.A. — accountability, every detail buttoned up, the standard for stars and rookies exactly the same. Matt counters with how switching his footwork in Atlanta helped fuel his MVP season and why learning the pass game under center still matters in a shotgun world. Plus: leadership, healthy friction between great QBs and demanding coaches, and an instant-classic Bill Cowher beer story from a military trip to Iraq. Football junkies will live in this episode. https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806

    50 min
See All (20)

5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

A new era of conversations. Real access, untold stories, and behind the scenes perspectives from those who played the game, cover it, and shape it.

Information

  • Creator
    Aaron Donald, Matt Ryan, Todd France and Zach Klein
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Inner Circle
  • Show Website
    The Inner Circle

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