Welcome to Glass Slipper! Don’t look up Trey Murphy’s stat line tonight; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from the NFL conference championship games.

1. Insurance.

By my count, there have been 21 instances in the last 15 seasons where a reserve quarterback was forced into action late in the year and ended up taking meaningful playoff snaps. 21! That’s an absolutely ridiculous number.

Front offices live in perpetual fear of their QB1 getting hurt, because it almost always torpedoes the entire campaign. Thus, I have a hot take to present. I believe that at some point in the next decade, we will see a franchise - one with an established starter in their twenties - spend a first-round pick on a backup signal-caller. I’m telling you. It’s going to happen.

This prediction doesn’t sound quite as wild after watching Jarrett Stidham produce zero points in the final 55 minutes on Sunday. If the Broncos had selected Jaxson Dart over Jahdae Barron at No. 20 in April, they’d be packing for a trip to Santa Clara right now. Plain and simple.

Look, I’d never have the guts to actually do this myself. Someone will, though. Ty Simpson to New England? I’m only half-joking.

2. Greedy.

First athlete to have their jersey retired at Walsh Jesuit. Two-time All-American wearing Scarlet and Gray. Three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots. Now he wants a ring as a head coach. Mike Vrabel is putting together one of the most complete football careers ever.

I’m initiating Canton conversations if he beats Seattle.

3. Tarmac.

For the tenth consecutive season, no Broncos player reached 1,113 receiving yards. That’s not acceptable.

To me, Kenyon Sadiq should be written in all caps on the draft board. You may need to ship off a third-rounder to scoot into his range, but it’s worth it. Sadiq was teammates with Bo Nix in college, and would instantly become Sean Payton’s biggest matchup advantage. Do not make us watch Adam Trautman and Evan Engram wander around again.

4. Change of plans.

As soon as the final whistle sounds on February 8th, New England needs to kick Will Campbell inside to left guard. Regardless of the confetti colors. It’s becoming difficult to watch.

Standards change overnight when you win ahead of schedule. You can no longer cross your fingers, and hope that Will eventually figures it out at a critical position; the title window is open right now. Slide the big guy over a spot, trade for a bankable veteran to fill the void, and watch Drake Maye bounce around in the pocket comfortably. Everyone benefits.

5. Tatters.

Although I loved Sam Darnold coming out of USC, it would be grossly disingenuous of me to gloat about his success. I stuck with him throughout the ugly Jets tenure, but fully gave up during that first year in Carolina. He looked like Brandon Weeden. The collegiate version of Darnold that consistently rose to meet the moment was nothing more than a distant memory.

It’s hard not to feel happy for the guy. He didn’t blame his former coaches like Baker Mayfield. He didn’t blame the wind like Zach Wilson. Instead, Sam sat behind Brock Purdy and quietly got better. Minnesota gave him once last chance to be the man, and he flipped that opportunity into MVP votes and an $100 million contract.

355 total yards, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers for Darnold in the NFC championship game. A lot of fantastic NFL quarterbacks have never played that well with hardware hanging in the balance. The general public is heaping praise right now, and he deserves all of it.

6. New age.

Even the most innovative minds can fall victim to blindly following the status quo. I’m looking at you, Sean McVay. Xavier Smith is your punt returner. Why? Well, it’s not because he boasts a track record of excellence. Smith returned exactly 14 punts in college, and has delivered average production at the NFL level. Xavier fulfills that role because he’s a 5-foot-9 slot receiver. That’s how it’s always been! The speedy wideout handles kicks. End of story!

Puka Nacua should be back there from now on, and call for a fair catch every single time. Why bother with anything else? You know he’ll field it cleanly; that’s literally the only thing that matters when the best offense in the league is waiting to jog out. Sure, you’ll miss out on the nine precious yards that Smith usually picks up. I’d argue that making sure the MVP actually gets a possession is more important. That’s just me, though.

7. Replay.

In 2021, Cooper Kupp put together the best start-to-finish season of any wide receiver in history. Now he has a front-row seat to watch Jaxon Smith-Njigba craft a replica of his finest artwork. It’s quite beautiful.

The whole solar system knows where the ball is headed when Seattle needs something offensively. It makes zero difference. I don’t even think Darnold bothers with pre-snap reads when he and his guy are in a rhythm. Play man, play zone. Send two, send three. Jaxon will be open.

8. At the controls.

Les Snead - the GM who cares less about draft capital than any other in professional sports - owns two first-rounders. Are we really supposed to believe that he’s going to keep both?

I think it’s a good opportunity to push some chips in for a star corner. The Jalen Ramsey trade netted you a Lombardi. Could Denzel Ward help get you back to the mountaintop? I’d definitely explore it.

9. Wizardy.

Here’s a list of each top-35 pick that the Seahawks have made since 2022.

• Charles Cross (2022)

• Devon Witherspoon (2023)

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2023)

• Byron Murphy (2024)

• Grey Zabel (2025)

• Nick Emmanwori (2025)

Yeah. Hit, home run, home run, hit, home run, home run. In order. That is a special stretch from John Schneider.

10. Time to peek ahead.

I told you in August that Seattle and New England would combine for 14 wins. Both teams got to 14 on their own, and will meet in Santa Clara. Incredible stuff once again, Jacob. You’re building one impressive vault of gems, buddy.

Let’s rewind to late 2023. Sam Darnold is a backup. Mike Macdonald is a coordinator. Drake Maye is skipping the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to protect his draft stock. Mike Vrabel is about to be fired. Things change pretty quickly, huh?

When these organizations met in 2015, we were gifted with one of the most famous football moments ever. Let’s hope there’s another legendary finish approaching.

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“Worth The Wait” by Jordin Sparks. Enjoy.