The Franchise | NFL Tag Window Opens, NBA MVP Chaos & 5 NBA Finals Contenders

Episode 25 of In My Defense is titled “The Franchise.” We start with the NFL’s most controversial power tool: the franchise tag. Between February 17 and March 3 (4 p.m. ET deadline), teams can tag pending unrestricted free agents, locking them in for one year at a top-five salary average. Is it smart business… or suppressed leverage? Canty and Que break down what it really feels like to be tagged and why players hate it.Franchise Tag TalkWhy does no player want itRisk vs rewardBreece Hall, George Pickens, Kyle Pitts implicationsWhy the tag isn’t going anywhereNBA MVP Race (Late Feb 2026)It’s a four-person sprint: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | Nikola Jokic (DEN) | Cade Cunningham (DET) | Victor Wembanyama (SAS). Que has a Dark horse that everyone needs to start mentioning!The 65-game eligibility rule could decide the race. If availability is value… who really deserves it?5 Teams That Can Win the NBA FinalsBoston CelticsSan Antonio SpursOklahoma City ThunderDetroit PistonsCleveland CavaliersPlus: DMV nightmares, James Harden unlocking Jarrett Allen, and Wins & Losses.Nothing’s personal… but In My Defense.📺 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@InMyDefensePod/?sub_confirmation=1🔗 https://www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.Follow the hosts:Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1Episode — Franchise Tag Debate, NBA MVP Race & Wins/Losses00:00 – Episode Preview00:12 – IntroFirst Whistle: NFL Franchise Tag Debate03:30 – Franchise Tag Begins03:53 – What It Feels Like to Be Tagged05:13 – Is the 1993 Rule Unfair?05:51 – Billionaires vs. “Thousandaires”07:13 – Players Who Bet on Themselves (Revis, Cousins)08:36 – Business Perspective on the Tag09:15 – Benefits for Players vs. Owners10:19 – “It Will Never Change” CantyNBA MVP Race Debate14:34 – Who’s Your NBA MVP?14:45 – 3-Man Race: SGA, Wemby, Cade Cunningham17:23 – 65-Game Rule Hurting Legacies?19:34 – Dark Horse MVP: Jaylen Brown20:25 – Celtics Without Tatum – Is JB the Real MVP?NBA Finals Predictions24:20 – 5 Teams That Could Make the Finals24:26 – Knicks, Celtics, Pistons, Spurs25:02 – James Harden Unlocking Jarrett Allen25:30 – Harden’s History with Elite BigsWins & Losses26:48 – Wins & Losses Begin27:01 – Canty’s Win: USA Men’s Hockey Gold27:35 – Canty’s Loss: USA Men Not Backing Women’s Team30:30 – Que’s Win: LeBron 40K Points31:21 – Que’s Loss: DeAndre Ayton vs. Clint Capela32:29 – Outro🎙️ New episodes drop every Friday 🔗 www.linktr.ee/InMyDefensePod 📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@InMyDefensePodFollow the hosts:Chris Canty → @ChrisCanty99Quentin “Que” McDuffie → @Queie_Beamen1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.