Kay Adams Finds Every Football Moment Precious

Photographs: Kay Adams, Getty Images; Collage: Gabe Conte

It’s playoff time for NFL players—and for NFL broadcasters, too. Kay Adams is right in the eye of that storm. Her daily talk show Up & Adams—which airs live on the cable channel FanDuel TV and the Up & Adams YouTube channel, and is later uploaded to HBO Max as well—gives Adams the chance to regularly talk ball with several NFL big wigs. (Rob Gronkowski and Deebo Samuel are weekly guests.) She describes the show as an hour-long party, and it’s quickly become one of the hottest invites in sports media.

Adams’ bright and sunny disposition is a welcome balm for those of us tired of the bro-iness that dominates so many of the football conversations on TV. She spoke to GQ about her work—and, of course, about this weekend’s football extravaganza.

When the regular season ends, do you feel like you’re able to exhale a little bit? Or is it the opposite, where you feel like you have to start going harder?

I wouldn’t say that my workload is less. It’s more challenging because you have to really put the teams and their storylines under a microscope. You have to pick them apart even more to find content when there’s less of it—and less and less every week—even though the NFL is great at giving us things to chew on all year long.

I think every Sunday—every week, every quarter, every minute—is so precious. That’s one of the big lessons as you do this job: the preciousness of the moments in an NFL season. They’re so fleeting. I’ll catch myself on a Tuesday morning saying, “Let’s wrap up Week 11.” Week 11?! My heart skips a beat because I love the NFL, I love football, I love celebrating the game, and it ends too soon! I’m a fan of the extended season and expanded playoffs because I can’t get enough.

This is interesting to me. Most people are ready to move on from teams like the Commanders and the Panthers, but you’re sad about losing them until next season?

I am! I was just in a meeting where I said I wanted to talk about [Jets’ running back] Breece Hall. My incredible producer is saying, “Why do you want to talk about Breece Hall? We have Wild Card weekend!” In two weeks it won’t be a big deal, but I want to properly service every team in a way that sends them off. If you’re easy to root for, we’re good. There’s definitely a preciousness to that as well, which I’ve learned not to take for granted.

Do you think Wild Card weekend is the best sports weekend of the year?

Wild Card weekend is the weekend. I’m such an NFL girlie that I don’t even know what competes with it. I bet you there’s a cooler, alt, GQ-audience answer here. El Clásico? Whatever. I like the NFL. Wild Card weekend is the best weekend in sports, it’s not a secret. Everybody’s up in arms about this Chiefs-Dolphins game only being on Peacock. You’re not going to watch? You’re protesting? Everybody’s going to watch! The whole playoffs are great.

I will say, I don’t love the Monday game. Monday is Monday; the weekend is the weekend. Whoever wins on Monday night gets a short week. Just do three games [Saturday] and three games [Sunday]. Clean. I want it all taken care of. Give me the madness of three games and three games. Not having a third game on Saturday doesn’t help me! I’m already watching football all day. I’ve still ordered pizza sitting on my couch.

I’m glad you brought this up. Do you have any tips for watching football all day? Anything that helps stave off that guilt that can creep in when you’re mainlining football for ten hours straight?

I will wake up and do a hike at like 5:30 in the morning. This weekend I might do a hike and a Pilates class. Then I will feel good about all of my time on the couch. During the games, I’m taking notes and feverishly texting my producer. But other than that, I just watch like everybody else. I’m a fan! Last week I made a huge pot of turkey chili. But I do try to be active and move around before that.

How would you describe Up & Adams to someone who’s never seen it before? Why do you think it works?

I would say it’s an hour-long, live, information-credibility-entertainment party. And it is not a party without guests! There are as many guests as we can fit. We’ve done four or five in an hour, which is absolutely insane and ambitious. Because of that, looking forward to the Super Bowl, we’re going to make it two hours because we have so many guests and perspectives we want to get to. So, all of Super Bowl week we’ll be in Vegas, two hours, with appearances from our regulars and as many people as we can fit in the party.

Are you a Vegas person? Are you excited that the Super Bowl is there?

I’m a Vegas 48-hour rule person. Something about the air in the hotel, the energy, I lose my voice in about ten minutes every time I’m there. It’s electric. I was there for F1 and they did a really beautiful job welcoming something very new to town. They made it such a party, and it was incredibly organized. I have no doubt that this will be an incredibly exciting Super Bowl. I think it’ll deliver, I do. I think it’ll be better than LA was. Some of these cities can’t handle it. Vegas can handle what’s coming.

I’m a go-to-a-show person. I’ll go to The Sphere. But I’m also a spa girl. I feel good about my late-night career of hanging out and having a good time. I think I’m past that at this point. A nice show, a nice dinner, go to bed.

Do you have a personal favorite Up & Adams interview?

Everybody brings something different. We have Deebo Samuel on every Tuesday, and he is a challenge. I’d have to go with him. He gives short answers, so you gotta be on it. Usually I’m a good anticipator, but I never know with him. It’s like how he is on the field! You know he’s going to juke you, but you don’t know how! It’s been very interesting to watch him because he’s such a competitor at such a high level. It’s very cool to see him evolve. For him to be on this road, after losing the Super Bowl in 2019 as a rookie in Miami—I remember meeting him on the sideline before that game. Now he’s got a bye and he’s kicking it, watching Wild Card weekend like the rest of us!

I love live [TV]. I would pick live over anything, any way. I hate taping anything. I think I’m too impatient to want to do something again, or edit. If you do something live, it’s behind you, there’s nothing you can do about it. There’s a real sense of being in the present moment that I don’t shy away from. I’m saying impatient, but maybe I mean lazy. I just don’t want to do anything again. I think it’s always the best the first time. I think I’m always my best the first time. If I’m not, I’ve got another chance to do it 23 hours later.

What were your biggest takeaways from this NFL season?

You just can't rule anyone out! The NFL is the craziest thing I’ve ever been a part of. If we’re talking about the moment that sticks out the most from this season, it was Week 1 of Monday Night Football. I flew to New York, Aaron Rodgers’ debut, great! I’ve been to a dozen Super Bowls, and this atmosphere beat more than half of them. It was the most electric atmosphere, and I was not prepared for it. That’s something I won’t forget.

The New York of it all, it being 9/11, Rodgers, the anticipation. It was really the craziest game! It showed me the highs and lows of the NFL in a way that mirrors every game, every season, and the 100+ year history of this game. It was a bit of a microcosm of what the NFL is every day. That’s the NFL, just like that, it flips. There’s always next year!

Let’s also give a quick shoutout to an OG. Joe Flacco, 38 years old, Delaware’s finest, took me a minute to take seriously. He went 18-3 as a Raven against the Browns, and now he’s playing with them. This is legendary stuff.

Which matchup are you most excited for this weekend?

Oh, man. I like them all of course. I don’t want to pick the low-hanging fruit that is Lions-Rams. But I will pick it because I like rewriting narratives. I think Jared Goff has a little something. He’s feisty and he’s got a lot to prove. Sean McVay let him go, and he’s facing a quarterback who’s a legend. That Detroit crowd is going to cheer its ass off for Matthew Stafford when he goes in there. Matthew Stafford: the made man. His side isn’t as compelling to me, but Jared Goff, Dan Campbell, the fans, I think I’m most excited about that. If the Lions can deliver their first playoff win in forever, that would be really incredible.

On the Rams’ side, it’s like, how are they doing this? Kyren Williams and Puka [Nacua], it’s so much more impressive than when they had the mega team and beat the Bengals. From an X’s and O's standpoint, they match up interestingly too. What do you think is the popular game? What’s the game that everyone’s talking about?

I think it’s probably Chiefs-Dolphins. There’s still a lot of casual interest in the Chiefs.

I mean, would you be surprised if they made the Super Bowl? It wouldn’t surprise me a bit. Just with Patrick Mahomes—all the Super Bowls of the last ten years or so have been Mahomes or Brady. Being the best quarterback matters. Are you the best quarterback, Patrick? Let’s go! I’m not going against the Chiefs at all. They got the matchup they wanted. Cowboys-Packers is interesting, too. I think that could be a fun little upset if they can keep the Cowboys from being on the field enough to score. I can’t wait!

Do you have a preferred Super Bowl matchup? If you could pick it, what would you choose?

I want to see the best teams in the NFL from the whole season: the Ravens and 49ers. I know they faced each other already, but I think it might be different the second time around. Lamar Jackson is the best. He’s done everything else. Let’s get him to the big game. And with [Kyle] Shanahan, Come on buddy. Let’s not move into Andy Reid Eagles territory, my friend. You gotta win one! You think the Niners want to see the Rams? The biggest competition in the NFC for the Niners, in my opinion? Easily the Rams.

Do you have plans to unwind after the season?

Last year I went to Italy. The year before that I went to Kenya, Rwanda, and the Serengeti. I did an incredible three-week safari, trucking with the silverback gorillas. It was unbelievable. I’m big on art, food, and culture. I’m interested in Mexico City. It seems like such a destination. I have friends who live there. Mexico City is definitely high on the list.

As a Chicago native, how are you feeling about the Bears? What is your level of confidence in them executing this offseason in a way that actually makes them better?

I like their GM. I have more confidence in him than anything else on that team. Consistency is all I want. How far away are they? That’s the question. Chicago has bigger fish to fry than the quarterback. There’s some organizational stuff that you’d like to see get figured out. The fans deserve it. How long can we talk about 1985? Come on. It’s all we got! Jay Cutler is the best quarterback in franchise history! Ever!

One thing from the show that’s always a hoot is when Shams Charania comes on. How is he able to be so charming while also working 25 hours a day and constantly breaking news?

He’s very disciplined. That is what works for him. He’s disciplined and so dedicated to what he does, doing it the right way, 10 out of 10 all the time. It’s something that a lot of people—in any industry—can’t do. It’s something that I think people should see as aspirational. He’s also such a great teammate and a lot of fun.

But to be honest, I don’t know that he balances his life enough. I wish Shams would lean into the charm more. I took his phone one time, and he looked like he was going to melt down. I wish I had thrown it into the ocean! The more we can get him away from his phone, the more delighted I would be. He’s not going to Mexico City anytime soon. I’m sure he’s booked out for the next three years.

Originally Appeared on GQ