 Coach told you they were making a change. Yeah, obviously, you know, he brought me in and sat me down and told me we were making the change. And you know, it just, you know, saying that I'm prepared for this. You know, this is what they've been preparing me for, excuse me. You know, they didn't want to baby me and give me, you know, all the little ticks and tricks. So, you know, it's just been exciting to, you know, have this whole process come around and obviously be in this situation. You know, they said about a month ago, they started noticing the uptick in practice. Is that kind of when you started to feel like, okay, it might be time real soon here? No, I mean, I'm not saying, you know, I just kicked it in a month ago or whatever it may be. Not maybe what they saw, but you know, every day I just try to go out there and better myself and better the team. You talk about them not baby you and that was something Charles London spoke of earlier in the day too. He's like, we didn't spoon feed him in his preparation. What does that kind of look like for you, even though we haven't seen you here in front of a camera, but what did that look like for you kind of during the season? Yeah, you know, that means going about the game plan, you know, how a 12 year vet, a eight year vet, whatever it may be goes about it. You know, not putting in a risk band, making me memorize, you know, every single play call, all the ins and outs, all the checks, all the cans and just taking it as if, you know, I've been in the league for eight years. You know, I've been in the league for six months, but no, you know, it's been exciting just to be able to learn and be able to grow. What's the reaction like when you do find out like, take me through that once you leave, I mean? Yeah, I mean, you know, it's excitement. This is my dream job was obviously to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. So, you know, I don't know what everyone's dream job was, but I'm sure if they got the call to go do their dream job, they'd be pretty excited. So do you call Claire first, like who? You call your mom first, Claire first, like group text? Yeah, now I went home and, you know, didn't really tell anyone, you know, not the media, I'm not going to break the news for people. So obviously, you know, I went home, told my wife and she was excited for me, but kind of kept it at that, you know, for me, you know, I just say, just go back to work the next day. What's your level of comfort with that? Yeah, it's pretty high and it just keeps continuing to grow with, you know, every single day, every single practice, you know, getting, you know, especially in touch with the receivers and just, you know, the relationship with the O'Lanmen is great, but just even building it even more on the field. And then like I said, just with the receivers, you know, last time I threw to some of these guys might not have been in the previous weeks or whatever it may be, but actually back in camp. So just getting back on track with them, you know, locking in with them and being on the same page. Can you tell us kind of what the decision was to get the guys together in the bye week and how much did that help you heading into Sunday? Oh, you know, I know by week, some guys is like to get out of here. Obviously, you know, I found out the news, I was like, hey, we got to get to it as quick as we can. So, you know, a couple of guys, you know, were able to come back, we're still in town. So, you know, we just came in and through and just kind of, those are the connections that, you know, a lot of people usually make those in the off season, but sometimes, you know, like it happens, changes in the middle of the season, you got to roll with it, and so that's what we did. Do you feel more comfortable given the fact that you did that in the bye week? Oh, yeah, obviously that's why I did it. It was obviously to feel as comfortable as I can when I get out there on Sunday. And so, you know, whether it's after practice every day, whether it's in between periods every day, just trying to find ways to get as comfortable as possible. Has any other players across the league here reached out just about kind of what to expect for your first start? You know, no, not really. You know, I'm just kind of, you know, taking it all in. You know, once we get down there, we know that it's going to be an environment, know that it's going to be an atmosphere, so just being able to handle that, and just being able to go out there and execute at the end of the day. Can you describe to me what the quarterback room is like right now? I mean, it's two kind of young guys who've never made an NFL star. What is that like? Is it, I don't know, fun, challenging? I mean, I don't think it matters, you know, it doesn't really matter who's in there. I think we're all going to have fun with it, just going about, you know, like I said before, this is our lives, this is what we like to do, this is our dream job, so, you know, no matter what the game is, no matter what the preparation, I think we're all going to have fun. You don't have a veteran quarterback in that room to kind of lean on and get advice from. Have you kind of sought advice from outside of that room possibly? Yeah, I mean, some of the old linemen, obviously, you know, they've played in a lot of big games, but you know, even Logan, like today, out of practice, you know, he's telling me little tips and tricks. I don't know what y'all consider a vet, but I think Logan's been in the league for three, four years now. So he's coming close on his vet term, if he's not one already. But you know, just listening to him, how he goes about things, how, you know, he studies off the field, what he does. And then now, you know, it's kind of funny, it's not, I'm not saying his role's reversed, but you know, now he's coming in, he's been with Art before, he's kind of been in the offense, but there's some new things that we added, and then that, so he's come up and asking me, and it's like, oh, it's kind of a full circle, it's pretty funny. Did you hear from Marcus at all when you got the job? Did he say anything to you, and what did he say? Yeah, he was in here, one of the days that we was in here, you know, he just told me, you know, best of luck, that he's gonna be there for me if I needed anything, and you know, never be afraid to reach out. What have you learned from him, maybe just watching him through this event? Yeah, obviously, how to go about your daily business is obviously the one and most important thing that you know, he's taught me as far as routine, as far as putting together a schedule, how he goes about learning the offense, you know, it's all helped me prepare to be where I'm at today. How many friends and family can we expect to see in New Orleans on Sunday? Like six, yeah, we're not traveling much, but... Did he tell you that he was leaving? Yeah, he had told me. Okay, so none of that came as a surprise to you? No, I mean, it was just, it was what it is. You know, at the end of the day, he's gotta do what he's gotta do to be healthy, and you know, I think our team is just gonna, you know, keep moving forward, you know, it's kind of in the NFL, you know, you got practice squad guys and you got guys that come in and leave, so I'm not saying it's a next man-up mentality, but that's sometimes how you have to go about it. When it comes to, there's this age-old saying about how a rookie quarterback's best friend is a productive run game with this group and how productive this run game is for you guys right now, how much does that kind of add just a level of comfort for you in this offense as well? Hugely, and you know, I don't think you just have to talk about a run game, but I think, you know, when it comes, when you say it like that, I think of O'Lanman. So how fortunate enough I am to have, you know, the group of O'Lan that I have who has done a heck of a job of moving the line of scrimmage in the run game and giving us time back there in the pocket during the pass game, so I'm just fortunate to have the O'Lanman I have and I'm excited to get out there and lead those guys on Sunday. What differences or growth have you seen in yourself just in the last month? Yeah, I think just, you know, with the preparation, just taking the game plan and really learning the ins and outs of it. You know, whether it was sometimes, you know, in the previous couple months, excuse me, just being able to kind of hear it and then, you know, know what it was, but now, you know, almost before it's said, know what it is and know what's going on. So just in my preparation, I think it is just keep continuing to take steps. Do you feel like there's a different vibe in the locker room with kind of you being the guy now or people kind of, I don't know, is there a different spark, I guess, maybe? I think the only spark that, you know, this locker room's looking for is a win. And so, you know, I think we're just excited to go out there and play. You know, everyone's coming off a bye week, so obviously, you know, everyone's got some energy. So everyone's juice up and ready to go and fired up to play the games. Has this hit you yet? Excuse me? Has this hit you yet that you're actually a starter? Yes and no. Sometimes when I got like 13 cameras around me, it does. But you know, at the end of the day, like we said, this is my dream job, this is what I wanted to do. The only difference, like I was saying, between last week and this week is these 13 cameras. So everything else I'm doing in between there is the same that I've been doing. Have you had to make a conscious effort this week to make it the same, to remind yourself just to put one foot in front of the other? No, I mean, that's what I was preparing to do the past 16 weeks, whatever it may be, since camp, however long it's been, was just preparing like I was a starter, like I said earlier. So coming in this week, you know, I haven't changed anything, just adding on, just try to do as much as I can to be prepared. You know, I remember, I think, I forget who it was. No, a while back said that, you know, when I think it was Teddy Bridgewater, I saw that said when he was a rookie or something, he went into his first game, you know, he wasn't fully prepared and that was the worst feeling. So just being fully prepared for this first game, you know, this will be something I won't regret. Can you know the first map? I mean, no, you can't know you're fully prepared, but you can, you know, prepare to the fullest. I'm gonna try to make a quote there. No, I mean, obviously, I mean, you can prepare as much as you want and do everything. And, you know, all it is at the end of the day is just about confidence. You know, how confident are you in the game plan and then how confident are you to go out there and execute the game plan. So, you know, by the end of this week, I think we'll be pretty confident. Could you have handled the amount of load four weeks ago or five weeks ago that you think that they're giving you now? Yes, Sam, no. You know, I think that, you know, there's a little bit of both within it. You know, I don't know if I was fully ready four or five weeks ago, maybe it was 10 weeks, whatever it may be. You know, and I think I'm fully prepared, I'm fully ready now, I'm ready to go, I'm ready to execute. But how does it feel to be coming, making your first start with a team that potentially is still trying to make that playoff push and these games matter? Yeah, you're talking about for us, right? Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's just, they're kind of, you know, for me, it's just being about, being a leader, just leading these guys in whatever way possible. You know, I'm not a stat guy, you know, didn't have all the stats since 90, whatever it may have been, but rather the wins. At the end of the day, that's all I want to do. That's all I want to lead my team to is to win. A lot of guys have had to wait longer than three quarters of a season for their first start. But I'm sure those 14 weeks or whatever felt like a long time to you. Did you ever get impatient those weeks of playing the other teams quarterback? No, you know, I always revert back to kind of, you know, how my high school and college days went up, you know, kind of, you know, sitting and having to earn that role and playing scout team, you know, your rookie year and your freshman years of what it was. So I think that also helps me, you know, acclimate to the speed of the game. You got guys who are vets on the defensive side of the ball, just out there, you know, coming at you full speed with the ones defense and that's how we're playing. So I think for me, it's just been exciting to be able to, you know, have the opportunity just to be out that field on the scout team and just be able to get reps. To accept one of the things that he's already noticed is you're already a vocal leader. Is that something that's always come kind of naturally to you? You said Drake? Yeah. Yeah, no, that's something that's always come natural to me is just kind of, you know, being the vocal guy, knowing when and what times to talk and, you know, who to talk to and how to talk to, you know, if I got to know every single one of you guys, you know, I talked to you probably in a different way just because I know how different people are. You know, you can't talk to, you know, all 11 guys that are out there on the field the same way, you know, people don't respond all the same way. So, you know, that's part of, you know, growing up, whether that was in grade school, high school, college, just learning about leadership and learning how to lead, you know, that's something I take pride in. Come on. Yeah, have you talked to T.J. Yates at all? He's a similar situation in his rookie years. No, I actually have not, but I will now now that you said that. You're talking about Drake. What's kind of your relationship with him and how does that help you coming into this offense now? Drake's my guy. And, yeah. That? Yeah, just that. Or boys. Does it give you a little bit of comfortability knowing that he's gonna be out there with you too? I mean, yeah, but I'm comfortable with all the 11 other 10 guys that are out there with me just because, you know, I'm closer with Drake because we came in together and, you know, or boys, it doesn't mean that I'm not boys with each and every single one of the other linemen or OZ or Red or any other guy that's out there. So, you know, whoever you put out there I'm gonna be comfortable with.