Football Season Kickoff: The Best NFL Podcasts to Get You Ready for Sundays
Do you smell that? There is something in the air, isn’t there? It’s the smell of fresh cut grass, wet leaves, hot dog grease, and sweaty socks — that musky-sweet aroma of competition and male bonding — and it can only mean one thing.
It’s football season.
Read More »Ah, football season.
We’ve waited since February for this moment, and it’s here. More importantly, those must-listen NFL football podcasts have fired up their engines. By now, they’re well into preseason warmups and they’ve cut the fat and caught their stride. Most avid NFL fans have been listening to their favorite NFL football podcasts and fantasy football podcasts since July, and their patience will be rewarded with the two sweetest words in the English language:
Opening day.
NFL opening day is right around the corner, and to get you ready for the start of the big NFL season, we’ve put together some of the best NFL podcasts available. Unlike so many podcasts out there, NFL football podcasts are timely. What is news on Friday is history by Monday. The hot young quarterbacks being talked about in September could all but be forgotten by December. So we’ve rounded up the best podcasts about NFL football — each and every one could very well be in your podcast starting lineup. But if you’re looking for something new or want to compare some of the listed football podcasts to your favorites, then we’ve got you covered.
One big note here: the following is a list of football podcasts in which the host or hosts are primarily discussing NFL news, predictions, trends, and any other number of topics. What these football podcasts do not focus on is fantasy football — well, all except one. While many of these podcasts may mention fantasy news and players they think would do well in a fantasy football lineup, they are primarily not fantasy-driven podcasts.
The one exception is the ESPN Fantasy Focus Football podcast. Why leave this one on the list? Well, of all of the NFL podcasts available, there may be no other podcast that breaks stories about player news, trades, or injuries as quickly as the ESPN Fantasy Focus Football podcast. So it needed to be included here.
Without any further ado, here are the best NFL podcasts that will keep you on top of your game this football season.
The Ringer Podcast – NFL
The Ringer podcast network is one of the hottest networks around, and its NFL podcast is no different. The show is hosted by a rotating cast that includes Jason Goff, Austin Gayle, Sheil Kapadia, Ben Solak, Danny Heifetz, and many others from The Ringer’s team of NFL writers. It’s a daily podcast that drops Monday thru Friday, so you can be sure you’re getting up-to-date news on all of your favorite teams and players.
What sets The Ringer’s NFL podcast apart from the rest is the team’s commitment to long-form, in-depth analysis and storytelling. This is a podcast for the NFL lover who wants to know everything there is to know about his or her favorite team.
Fantasy Focus ESPN Fantasy Football Podcast
The Fantasy Focus Football podcast is brought to you by ESPN and hosted by Matthew Berry, Field Yates, Stephania Bell, and Daniel Dopp. This fantasy football podcast is a must-listen for any serious fantasy football player — or any fan of the NFL. It’s a daily podcast that covers everything from who the hosts think will have a great year and who they think will be the biggest busts. Stephania Bell is the in-house sports medicine expert that provides injury updates and players’ prospects on coming back from tough injuries.
The show drops a new episode every weekday. It also streams live video and has a complimentary midday television series. The banter between the hosts will keep you coming back, and there is pretty much nothing this team doesn’t cover, so you’ll be well-informed as the season progresses.
Around The NFL Podcast
The Around The NFL podcast is brought to you by the team at NFL.com. It’s a weekly podcast that covers everything going on around the NFL. The show is hosted by Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler, and Dan Hanzua.
While this podcast may not be as up-to-the-minute and timely as some of the others on the list (dropping new episodes on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays), it’s still a must-listen for the NFL fan. The hosts have great chemistry and they really seem to enjoy what they’re doing. They also don’t take themselves too seriously, so if you’re looking for a lighthearted podcast about the NFL, this is the one for you.
The Rich Eisen Podcast
The Rich Eisen Podcast is brought to you by the Cumulus Podcast Network and hosted by…Rich Eisen. This podcast is a bit different than the others on the list in that it’s not exclusively about the NFL. In fact, Eisen covers a wide range of topics on his show, from sports to pop culture to politics. But if you’re looking for a well-rounded podcast that covers a little bit of everything including a good deal of football talk during the season, this is the one for you.
Eisen has some great guests on his show, including NFL players, coaches, and executives. He also has a segment called “Two Minute Drill” where he interviews an NFL player or coach for two minutes without any preparation. This segment is always enlightening and entertaining.
The Rotoworld Football Podcast
The Rotoworld Football Podcast is brought to you by NBC Sports and hosted by Denny Carter, Pat Kerrane, Kyle Dvorchak, and many others from the NBC Sports EDGE team. The Rotoworld Football podcast drops new episodes every Monday and Thursday during the NFL season, and while technically a fantasy football podcast, it provides enough news, information, analysis, and the occasional hard-nosed opinion to keep a die-hard NFL fan informed and on top of his or her game.
Move the Sticks Podcast
The Move the Sticks podcast is brought to you by NFL.com and hosted by former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. This podcast is a must-listen for any fan of the NFL Draft or any fan of football. Jeremiah and Brooks are two of the best in the business when it comes to knowing who the best prospects are and where they’ll end up going in the draft. And then during the season, they’ll provide insight on their favorite prospects and take a look back at their predictions. When a new talent emerges, they will look back and break down the rise of that player.
The Move the Sticks podcast drops new episodes every Tuesday and Friday, and they also have a companion television show that airs on the NFL Network. If you’re a fan of the NFL Draft or just want to get an inside look at how NFL scouts evaluate talent, then definitely check out this podcast.
Locked on NFL Podcast
The Locked on NFL podcast is brought to you by the Locked on Podcast Network and hosted by an array of talented hosts that know a thing or two about football. They cover everything from news and injuries, to hot takes and rumors. The Locked on NFL Podcast is a daily podcast that covers everything going on around the NFL. If you’re looking for a podcast that’s up-to-the-minute and timely, this is the one for you. The hosts do a great job of breaking down the complex world of the NFL and making it digestible (in about 30 minutes a pop) for the average fan.
Ross Tucker Football Podcast
The Ross Tucker Football Podcast is brought to you by Ross Tucker Media and is hosted by former NFL offensive lineman and current CBS analyst Ross Tucker. This podcast casts a wide net and provides news and expert analysis from some of the biggest football names in the business. Tucker does a great job of getting his guests to open up and share their insights on a variety of topics. This podcast is a great listen for any fan of the NFL.
NFL Live Podcast
The NFL Live podcast is brought to you by ESPN and hosted by a rotating cast of ESPN analysts including Ryan Clark, Field Yates, Adam Shefter, Cam Heyward, and many more. This podcast is a great listen for any fan of the NFL, as it provides news, analysis, and expert opinions from some of the biggest minds in football on all things football. The ESPN analysts do a great job of breaking down the complex world of the NFL and making it digestible for the average fan. It’s not quite Sports Center, but it’s the arguably better version of that program just for football and in an audio format.
Good Morning Football Podcast
The Good Morning Football podcast is another podcast delivered from the NFL Network and hosted by Kay Adams, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt. This podcast is an easy listen for any fan of the NFL as it provides news, analysis, and expert opinions on all things football. The hosts have a fun morning show banter and keep things light while delivering top-quality news and analysis on a daily basis.
Final Thoughts: The Two Minute Warning of Podcast Roundups
So there you have it, some of the best podcasts about football available to download right now. As a diehard NFL fan, these are must-listens (or at least the must-check-outs). If you’re looking for news, analysis, and expert opinions on all things NFL, then definitely check out these podcasts. And let’s all have a great season!
