Check The Mic with Steve Palazzolo & Sam Monson
Hosted by Steve Palazzolo
Two veteran football analysts systematically grade every NFL team's offseason moves, roster construction, and team-building philosophy.
A highly structured and analytical show where two long-time colleagues apply their data-centric PFF methodology to every major NFL event. Rather than focusing on narrative or hot takes, they systematically work through divisions or topics, grading teams on trades, draft picks, and free agency signings. Their deep knowledge of player evaluation and roster construction forms the core of every discussion.
“The hosts' background at Pro Football Focus sets the show apart. They bring a granular, evidence-based style of analysis that is more common in front offices than in typical sports media, frequently debating the specific grades of individual players and the net effect of roster moves.”
Who hosts this show
Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson are two of the original analysts from Pro Football Focus (PFF), where they helped pioneer the company's signature player-grading system. Palazzolo is a former minor league baseball pitcher who joined PFF in 2011, eventually becoming Head of Product for their football division. Monson, an Irish football analyst with degrees in journalism and law, joined PFF around the same time and became a lead analyst. They bring their data-heavy PFF background to this show, which operates in partnership with the football intelligence company The 33rd Team.
Credentials & credits
- Steve Palazzolo: Head of Product, Football Division at PFF
- Steve Palazzolo: Senior Analyst at PFF
- Steve Palazzolo: Former Triple-A professional baseball player
- Sam Monson: Lead Analyst at PFF
- Sam Monson: Degree in Journalism, Dublin Institute of Technology
- Sam Monson: Degree in History and Politics, Newcastle University
Other ventures
- Pro Football Focus (PFF)
- The 33rd Team
- PFF NFL Podcast (co-hosted by both)
- PFF NFL Daily (co-hosted by Monson)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Offseason Grades For Every AFC West Team 🧠Jun 27, 2026 · 17 min
- 02Offseason Grades For Every NFC West Team 🧠Jun 26, 2026 · 24 min
- 03Offseason Grades For Every NFC South Team 🧠Jun 26, 2026 · 16 min
- 04Offseason Grades For Every NFC North Team 🧠Jun 25, 2026 · 20 min
- 05Offseason Grades For Every NFC East Team 🧠Jun 25, 2026 · 21 min
- 06Offseason Grades for All 32 NFL TeamsJun 25, 2026 · 2h 47m
Notable episodes
- 01Offseason Grades for All 32 NFL Teams
This nearly three-hour episode is a comprehensive showcase of the show's core concept, as the hosts apply their analytical framework to every single team in the league.
- 02Offseason Grades For Every AFC West Team 🧠
A representative example of the show's typical format, where the hosts dedicate an episode to a deep, team-by-team breakdown of a single division's offseason moves.
- 03Offseason Grades For Every NFC West Team 🧠
This episode highlights the hosts' dynamic, including debates over player value and the definition of a 'starter', and their willingness to speculate on future team moves.
What you'll be asked on this show
The format features the two hosts in a conversational but rigorous debate, often using external articles or grades as a starting point for their own analysis. Episodes are frequently structured as a systematic review, such as grading the offseason for every team in a specific division. The show broadcasts live several times a week.
Signature segments
- · Offseason Grades
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
While the show's core is the dynamic between the two hosts, the podcast's partnership with The 33rd Team allows for interviews with former NFL players, coaches, and personnel to provide an inside look at the game.
- Albert Breeron YGD3-KobQCk
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is presented in partnership with The 33rd Team, a football intelligence and technology company. The hosts also frequently encourage viewers to subscribe to their own YouTube channel.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Steve Palazzolo
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Check The Mic?
- The hosts are Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson, both of whom are veteran analysts from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's an analytical discussion and debate show where the two hosts systematically break down and grade NFL news, focusing on roster construction, player evaluation, and team-building strategy. They broadcast live multiple times per week.
- Is Check The Mic still running?
- Yes, the podcast is active and produces multiple new episodes each week, especially around key NFL events.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
- What is The 33rd Team?
- The 33rd Team is a football intelligence and technology company founded by former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum. The podcast is produced in partnership with them.
- What is PFF?
- PFF (Pro Football Focus) is a football analytics company that grades every player on every play in the NFL and college football. Both hosts were early employees and helped develop its analytical style.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Steve Palazzolo - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Speakerslonsportsconference.com
- [02]Sam Monson's Profile | The 33rd Team Journalist | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [03]The 33rd Team Secures Series B Fundingprnewswire.com
- [04]Addiction, faith, and service with PFF analyst Steve Palazzolosportsspectrum.com
- [05]Sam Monson - EverybodyWiki Bios & Wikien.everybodywiki.com
- [06]Check The Mic on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
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