Why Bears QB Caleb Williams is MOST-BET to win 2026 NFL MVP | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD

What this episode is about

Caleb Williams, the Bears quarterback, has emerged as the leading candidate to win the 2026 NFL MVP, primarily due to his dynamic playing style and the strong offensive coaching under Ben Johnson. The discussion highlights Williams' unique abilities in comparison to other quarterbacks and posits parallels between the Bears' offensive resurgence and past successful coaching transformations in the NFL.

Key takeaways

• Caleb Williams isn't just a player; he's a spectacle—MVPs reward flair, not just stats.
• Great coaching can turn a 32nd offense into a top contender—hello, Ben Johnson's magic!
• Completion percentage? A red herring! Even legends like Manning and Allen evolved from shaky starts.
• Think MVP voting is algorithmic? Nope, it's an art—fans love a player who entertains as much as he excels.
• Seahawks' Super Bowl crowd was a home game; winning isn’t just talent, it’s also fan energy at play.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Colin Cowherd (Host) · 30 min speaking
• Jack (Guest) · 5 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Josh Allen, Super Bowl, Mike McDonald, Lawrence Taylor
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Max Crosby, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Fernando Mendoza
3. 10:00 – 15:00: Max Crosby, Josh Allen, Chicago Bears, Super Bowl
4. 15:00 – 20:00: Max Crosby, Fernando Mendoza, Hard Rock Bet, Chicago Bears
5. 20:00 – 25:00: Fernando Mendoza, Josh Allen
6. 25:00 – 30:00: NBA

Notable quotes from "Why Bears QB Caleb Williams is MOST-BET to win 2026 NFL MVP | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"

• Worked up, too. I want to defend Caleb William, Bears quarterback, cuz I saw the story. Bears quarterback Caleb William Caleb Williams is the betting favorite to win MVP next…

  about Chicago Bears · at 0:13

• Different. Caleb does stuff nobody else does except Josh Allen. So, and the difference is I think Caleb Williams, in my opinion, has a better coach than Josh Allen did. And I…

  about NFL · at 0:58

• MVP next year, who I would put my crypto on, I'd go Caleb one and Josh Allen 2 cuz I think Caleb has the better head coach here. Brian Erlacer, the very popular former great Chicago Bear, was talking about Caleb last week to USA Today.

  about Josh Allen · at 3:08

• All right, let's revisit Super Bowl 60, Colin. Fun little nugget here from Mike McDonald, the Seahawks coach. So, he went on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Oh.

  about Mike McDonald · at 4:46

• Comments about Fernando Mendoza, the number one pick. However, however, he was also asked about Max Crosby, the defensive end who made waves last week with some comments. Here's what Kubak said about the future of Crosby in Vegas.

  about Max Crosby · at 6:37

• Yeah. Final story is to the NBA. Jaylen Brunson went off last night 40 piece, but the Knicks lost to the oh boy 14 win Pacers. Pacers are not a great team this year. Obviously, a lot of injuries. They.

  about NBA · at 13:06

• Night. Hoops, hockey, so much more. All the great same game parlays, live betting, player props. Hard Rock Bet is the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the…

  about Hard Rock Bet · at 17:50

• I'm getting real push back on Fernando Mendoza as an A quarterback prospect.

  about Fernando Mendoza · at 19:35

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Fernando Mendoza — Person · Primary referenced draft prospect (host’s advocacy/pushback topic) · 9 mentions · first at 6:37
  A major debate topic: the host strongly advocates Mendoza as a top QB prospect and claims NFL sources are underrating him.
• Max Crosby — Person · Primary referenced defensive star (trade/value debate) · 10 mentions · first at 6:42
  Key subject of a roster-building debate: whether the Raiders should keep him and whether teams like Buffalo/Chicago should trade major picks for him.
• Josh Allen — Person · Comparison benchmark (elite QB) and MVP alternative · 8 mentions · first at 1:01
  Used as the closest stylistic comp to Caleb Williams and positioned as the #2 MVP pick; also discussed in context of Buffalo’s roster window.
• Clint Kubiak — Person · Referenced coach (press conference + Raiders personnel talk) · 1 mention · first at 19:21
  Central to the Raiders segment: discussed for comments about evaluating the #1 pick (Mendoza) and about wanting Crosby to remain in Vegas.
  Yesterday saying, Hey, I got to watch a lot of tape to determine who's going to be the number one pick. Clint, I've seen the tape. Draft Fernando Mendoza.
• Sam Darnold — Person · Comparison QB (talent vs. ‘different’) and prior evaluation reference · 5 mentions · first at 0:55
  Used as a foil to highlight Caleb’s uniqueness and as an example of a QB the host liked more than league consensus; also referenced in Seahawks game discussion.
  Vote on MVP. And Caleb Williams, even when you compare him to like really talented Sam Darnold, Caleb's just different. Caleb does stuff nobody else does except Josh Allen. So…
• Mike McDonald — Person · Referenced coach (team turnaround + Super Bowl crowd anecdote) · 2 mentions · first at 1:22
  Mentioned as an example of rapid team improvement and later quoted describing Super Bowl crowd dynamics and cadence advantages.
• Matthew Stafford — Person · Historical MVP/accuracy comparison example · 2 mentions · first at 0:36
  Cited to support the argument that completion percentage concerns shouldn’t dominate evaluation of high-talent QBs early in their careers.
  He's got a great offensive coach and his game is fun. Matt Stafford won MVP. You think of Stafford, you're like big time arm, no look passes. Momes wins MVP, right? What? Left-handed passes. This is not voted on by an algorithm. People.
• Lawrence Taylor — Person · Historical archetype (freelancing superstar) · 2 mentions · first at 1:51
  Used as an analogy for allowing rare talents to freelance; supports the host’s tolerance for Caleb Williams’ off-script style.
  There are these players in NFL history.
• Brian Urlacher — Person · Referenced expert/quote source · 2 mentions
  Quoted praising Caleb Williams’ rookie season, clutch throws, and arm talent—supporting the host’s MVP case.
• Deion Sanders — Person · Historical archetype (elite specialist allowed to freelance) · 2 mentions · first at 2:08
  Paired with Lawrence Taylor to argue that transcendent players can be allowed to ignore conventional expectations (e.g., tackling/run defense).
  So, Deion Sanders didn't like to tackle defend the run. He was so good at guarding everybody in the league, including mostly Jerry Rice. You just kind of let him do his own thing. So, I.
• Payton Manning — Person · Historical QB development comparison · 2 mentions
  Included in a list of elite QBs who had early completion-percentage struggles, reinforcing patience with Caleb’s efficiency metrics.
• Jimmy Kimmel — Person · Referenced media host (appearance platform) · 1 mention · first at 4:51
  Mentioned as the show where Mike McDonald shared the Super Bowl crowd/cadence anecdote.
  All right, let's revisit Super Bowl 60, Colin. Fun little nugget here from Mike McDonald, the Seahawks coach. So, he went on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Oh.

Companies & orgs

• Chicago Bears — Company · Business focus · 3 mentions · first at 1:14
  Discussed as a team with potential due to their quarterback and coach
• Las Vegas Raiders — Company · Business focus · 2 mentions · first at 8:19
  Discussed in the context of their coach and player Max Crosby
  So, Clint Kubiaak is the new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I like the hire. He was quoted yesterday saying, Hey, I got to watch a lot of tape to determine who's going to.
• Miam Heat — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 18:00
  Mentioned as a team partnered with Hard Rock Bet
  Night. Hoops, hockey, so much more. All the great same game parlays, live betting, player props. Hard Rock Bet is the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the…
• Orlando Magic — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 18:00
  Mentioned as a team partnered with Hard Rock Bet
  Night. Hoops, hockey, so much more. All the great same game parlays, live betting, player props. Hard Rock Bet is the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the…

Concepts & topics

• NFL — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at 0:48
  Central theme of the episode, discussing NFL teams, players, and events
• NBA — Concept · Core topic · 1 mention · first at 26:16
  Discussed in the context of team performances and player injuries

Places & events

• Super Bowl — Event · Key argument · 4 mentions · first at 1:29
  Discussed in the context of team performances and strategies
  They went like 30th to 11th to number one in the Super Bowl. So I think Ben Johnson in Chicago and Mike McDonald in Seattle. We could be looking at and I believe this to be true. We got a couple more McVeys guys that are just.

Media & podcasts

• USA Today — Media · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at 3:24
  Cited as a source for comments about Caleb Williams
  Crypto on, I'd go Caleb one and Josh Allen 2 cuz I think Caleb has the better head coach here. Brian Erlacer, the very popular former great Chicago Bear, was talking about Caleb last week to USA Today.
• NFL Films — Media · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at 16:16
  Mentioned in the context of mic'd up players
  Is a you're talking about one of the top I mean I love when they mic players and you and they keep the they keep the you know NFL films they watch them for the entire game.…

Sponsors

• Hard Rock Bet — Product · Sponsor · 3 mentions · first at 17:39
  Presenting sponsor of the podcast, promoting sports betting services

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Welcome to the Herd's official YouTube channel. Make sure to like and subscribe. Don't forget to check out the Colin Coward podcast, all of our NFL instant reactions, and more football content. All right, welcome back. I saw this story this morning. This got me worked up, too. Uh, I want to defend Caleb William, Bears quarterback, cuz I saw the story. Bears quarterback Caleb William Caleb Williams is the betting favorite to win MVP next year. And I can hear everybody already saying, I mean, give me a break, you media people. First of all, he's got two big advantages.

0:34 He's got a great offensive coach and his game is fun. Matt Stafford won MVP. You think of Stafford, you're like big time arm, no look passes. Momes wins MVP, right? What? Left-handed passes. This is not voted on by an algorithm. People vote on MVP. And Caleb Williams, even when you compare him to like really talented Sam Darnold, Caleb's just different. Caleb does stuff nobody else does except Josh Allen. So, and the difference is I think Caleb Williams, in my opinion, has a better coach than Josh Allen did. And I think Shawn McDermott is very, very good. I think Ben Johnson, we may have a great one here. We may have another McVey. So, the Bears went from 32nd offense, total offense to sixth. You know what that feels like to me? Very much like Mike McDonald in Seattle who took over for Pete Carol.

1:26 They went like 30th to 11th to number one in the Super Bowl. So I think Ben Johnson in Chicago and and Mike McDonald in Seattle. We could be looking at and I believe this to be true. We got a couple more McVeys guys that are just different. They're just better than everybody else. So and there are and here's my thing about Caleb Williams. There are these players in NFL history. Lawrence Taylor is one. I mean, there's so many funny things on the internet, Tik Tok, about Bill Parcels talking about Lawrence Taylor where like he just would do his own thing. He freelanced his way to being the best pass rusher in league history. I mean, even Bill Parcels at some point's like, "Yeah, whatever. Do your thing." Bill Parcels.

2:08 So, Deion Sanders didn't like to tackle defend the run. He was so good at guarding everybody in the league, including mostly Jerry Rice. You just kind of let him do his own thing. So, I mean, when people get worked up on the completion for percentage for Caleb Williams, my take is, okay, here are people that also struggled in year two with their completion percentage. Matt Stafford, Jared Goff, Pton Manning, and Josh Allen. You know, when you're really really I mean, Pton Manning was so good upstairs. Josh Allen has so much power. Stafford had such a good arm. I I don't get too caught up on completion percentage. I think it needs to get a little better. a little better, but if he gets the 61 and a half or 62 and a half, I'm kind of okay with it. I mean, I Lawrence Taylor kind of Deion Sanders kind of freelance their way a lot. If Caleb freelances six times a game, I'm comfortable with it. I

3:06 mean, if you told me who should win the MVP next year, who I would put my uh my crypto on, I'd go Caleb one and Josh Allen 2 cuz I think Caleb has the better head coach here. Brian Erlacer, the very popular former great Chicago Bear, uh was talking about Caleb last week to USA Today.

3:28 Thought Caleb was really good last year as a rookie. uh he didn't turn the football over which is a big deal but I did not see him making the jump he made this year or their whole team for that matter defensively. Um I just think the belief they were going to win every game starts with him. It's crazy the the clutch throws he makes um

3:44 canon arm and when things break down that's when he's really good. I feel like he gets at his best.

3:51 Yeah. So I I to me Caleb Williams number one preseason MVP Josh Allen 2 and a lot of it is because nothing against Joe Brady but he's not Ben Johnson. He may succeed he's not Ben Johnson. He's not Ben Johnson for two years maybe three before he got the job in Chicago. you and I were spending we you'd go out and talk to fans and it's like man who's that guy in Detroit. I mean the Lions were like creative and clever and progressive and smart and fun and Joe Brady may work. I have my doubts but not Ben Johnson. So I think Caleb should be the favorite. He just some guys are more fun to watch and easier to vote for. Jack with the news.

4:41 NO. HEARD ON THE NEWS. THIS is the Herdline news. All right, let's revisit Super Bowl 60, Colin. Fun little nugget here from Mike McDonald, the Seahawks coach. So, he went on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Oh.

4:55 Uh, this week, and I had not heard this anywhere. He said in the stadium it was overwhelmingly Seahawks fans. Take a listen.

5:04 It was incredible. I mean, it's uh must have been 75 25. It felt like we, you know, if you're like when you come play on a road game, it's hard to do like a verbal cadence for the quarterback to snap the ball because he can't hear, right?

5:16 So, you have to have some sort of like silent, you know, we call it silent cadence where you lift the leg or whatever. But, their offense is on silent cadence the whole game which gives us an advantage on defense. Our offense was able to use a verbal cadence where Sam could, you know, give all the commands to the center. So, it was like playing a home game. You know, Jac, I was sitting uh with two people uh Josh and Ryan, producers, watching the game, and we I we were talking about it right before the game. We're like, this is kind of a home game for Seattle, not just because of the crowd, because they played in that stadium multiple times and the lighting and the angles for a late afternoon, you know, it was a late afternoon on the West Coast. It did feel like watching that game is I've seen Seattle play here, I've seen Darnold play here, I've seen the Seahawks the last couple years, McDonald. It felt

6:01 like and then you started they pan the crowd and you're like oh this is this is like one of those bowl games in the south where it's like 70% like you know it's like 65% Georgia fans and then 35% you know whoever the other team is fans Oregon or whatever. So it I thought that played I thought Seattle looked much more comfortable and they were better and they had a better game plan and the better quarterback. But I I did think it was an advantage. Uh Seahawks defense obviously six sacks, three turnovers. They were nasty. Uh let's go to the second story and that's the Clint Kubak presser yesterday. I know you were fired up about his comments about Fernando Mendoza, the number one pick. However, however, he was also asked about Max Crosby, the defensive end who made waves last week with some comments. Here's what Kubak said about the future of Crosby in Vegas.

6:52 Love talking ball with him and and you know, look forward to continuing those conversations. He was he was the first one in here this morning working out. So that fired me up. We want him to be a part of our of our success going forward and you know there's no doubt about that and um you know he's he's one of the best players in the NFL. So it's that's a no-brainer to to get to work with Max and to see him continue to have success with this organization.

7:20 That'd be big. I don't know. I know you're plugged in with Crosby. He's your guy. He don't like me. Um,

7:25 well, you just take fire shots at people indiscriminately. And, you know, I didn't think he was a top five defensive end in the league. Sorry. I mean, he's really

7:33 Miles Garrett, he's probably number two. Oh, he's very, very good. I I I'm not willing to go that far. But more importantly, he's the only guy the Raiders have. Look at these sack numbers since 2019. It's basically Max Crosby and random guys who don't do much or aren't sticking around long. Colin, they need Crosby badly. Um, listen, they got they got some draft capital.

7:56 Part of me wants Max Crosby to play in a Super Bowl. So, I've come to the conclusion that if Max gets traded, I think it's really cool, especially if he went to like I mean, just put him on, you know, Buffalo, for instance, could use a consistent edge rusher. I would love to see Max Crosby in Buffalo. It's nothing against the Raiders, but I do when I have somebody I like, like Sam Darnold, I like I wanted Sam to have Kevin O'Connell. I wanted Sam to go to Seattle. I want Sam to flour. Max Crosby is one of my guys. So, I I think if he stays in the Raiders and they pay him, I'm happy because he's going to get more money soon. But my other take is if he goes to somebody like let's say Jacksonville or or with with Liam Cohen and that that team that's like a player away or he goes to Buffalo, I'm also happy for him. I if I'm Buffalo, you don't have a single Pro Bowler on defense. How can you make your corners

8:46 and your safeties better? A great pass rush. I think you got to give up a lot to get him though,

8:51 huh? You got to give up a lot to get him to Buffalo. Okay, Josh Allen, four more years prime. I don't need first round picks. I You've got your left tackle, your running back. You need an edge rusher. I get What's the timeline? We were talking about this during the prep this morning. Luca's 27. You think Luca's got six more years of prime? His game is already less athletic today than it was four years ago. Okay, so like what's Luca's window to me? Luca's window is the next four years. Rob Pelanka, Nick Wright and I talked about this yesterday. You got to speed it up here because Luca is aging faster.

9:28 Carmelo aged very fast, didn't he? Why? He wasn't in LeBron shape. How did they come out the same time and LeBron's still playing and Melo is a broadcaster? Because so to me Josh Allen the way he runs around and gets popped you probably have four years of a aaa A+ and then like big Ben or Cam big guys who you know run around get hit it starts you can see so to me your window in Buffalo is today I

9:59 I'm sorry I can't rock you just are like you don't need first round picks we just saw Seattle draft Eman Warry and he's a huge factor he's in the league He was a second round.

10:08 Even better second round pick. You need your picks, Colin. You can't Rams have had one first round pick in nine years.

10:15 Second best franchise in the league. The only team that can move the ball on the Seahawks is the team that's had one first round pick in nine years. If you draft well, second, third, fourth, fifth round, and you have a team friendly quarterback deal, you can be an excellent roster.

10:31 The team friendly quarterback screws it up. But I I honestly I don't know that I'm trading for Crosby if I'm if I Buffalo, you're going to cost you two ones for this guy.

10:40 Well, what are you going to get in the first round? How'd that Keon Coleman thing work? That was a big first round.

10:45 That was a very poor job. But remember, you're giving up two first round picks in Buffalo. They're bottom of the first round.

10:52 What are you getting? The third best corner at Georgia. I mean, the Eagles Eagles sure did draft some real

10:58 also whiffed on a late first round pick. receiver if you recall out of TCU. Those late first round picks, the best GMs in the league. Jason Light in uh um in Tampa, great GM. He took Kyle Tras, Florida. That is an impossible place to draft. Even Seattle's John Snyder. Now he's drafting at the bottom of the first.

11:22 Yeah, dude. Those are second round players by the 20th pick. That's a hard place for GM.

11:28 So, what's your guess on Crosby? Is he playing for the Raiders next season or traded?

11:32 All I know if I'm Buffalo, I'd give up two first in a heartbeat to get him because the one thing they need are explosive defensive players. Now, if you if if you want to move up and get Bane or or like out of Miami, the hurricane kid or or if you want to move up, you can do it, but you're going to have to give up a maybe you don't give up two firsts. Maybe you give up a second and a third. I I I that's not a bad move by Buffalo. Well, listen. Rams found Jared Verse late first round and he's crushing it already. An elite player at his position. Game changer. Like I I don't know, man. I think you're That's a good topic for the offseason, though. Would you give up two first round picks for Max Crosby?

12:10 Well, it depends on the downside is you're paying Josh Allen so much. For instance, I'll give you a team that should look at Max Crosby. The Chicago Bears quarterbacks on a rookie deal.

12:20 Yes, that makes I'll give you another team. New England Patriots. Quarterbacks on a rookie deal. Both those teams, Chicago's got a decent defense. They do not have a consistent edge. I would have no problem Ryan Paul's giving up first to get Max Crosby. What is the window to win a Super Bowl with Caleb Williams? Now, you could say it's 10 years, but we just watched the Super Bowl with two teamfriendly quarterback deals. By the way, if Bo Knicks is healthy, he's probably in the Super Bowl. He has a team friendly deal.

12:50 Yeah. Max Crosby is is works if you've got an inexpensive quarterback. Jaden Daniels in Washington, Drake May, Sam Darnold or not Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, Bone N Well, they don't they don't need more pass rushers in Denver.

13:06 Yeah. Final story is to the NBA. Jaylen Brunson went off last night 40 piece, but the Knicks lost to the oh boy 14 win Pacers. Pacers are not a great team this year. Obviously, a lot of injuries. They trade for Zubat. He ain't playing now. The Knicks did not have OG and Obi, one of their best defenders. And look at that. The Pacers drop 137 points. Colin, um, you remember the immortal Phil Jackson, great coach, had a bunch of Phil Jacksonisms. He had a 4020 theory. It states that if a team suffers 20 losses before they win 40, they ain't winning the championship. This loss last night was the Knicks 20th. Not great news. And especially when you look at the other contenders who apply to 4020, Detroit Pistons, OKC Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, those are clearly the three best teams. And I think the Knicks would be in probably the next tier.

13:56 I agree. Totally. But they're in the East though, you know that. Yeah. By the way, Keon Coleman was a second round pick. My bad. Wasn't a first.

14:03 Oh, Buffalo. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, no. I think I think the Knicks, um, if if Hallebertton was healthy and Jason Tatum was healthy, I don't think the Knicks are a a title team or even a Finals team.

14:15 Um, I still I'm going to take Detroit over the Knicks. I think it's close, but but I I that's So, Phil Jackson's theory was if you lose 20 before you win 40, you're not a title team.

14:25 Yeah. So, uh, the Celtics are at 34 and 19. They technically could pull it off. Um, and the Rockets are 33 and 19. So, they're right there. Rockets have been leaking oil for a little while now. The injuries, Dan Vleet, Adams catching up. But, man, I I'm not selling my Knicks stock. If anything, I'm going to add to it, Colin. I still think they're the cream of the crop in the East.

14:46 All right. That's What's your favorite team, by the way, in the East as a kid? Knicks. Yeah. And I know the Pistons smashed them recently by 40. Pistons are motivated after the Knicks beat them last year.

14:55 Okay. They are. You just wait till the series comes. is that the Knicks are healthy. Knicks in six.

15:00 All right. Well, I love your optimism. It's almost childlike. It's a very youthful enthusiasm. I appreciate that.

15:09 It's like it's like the kind of enthusiasm you had when you had dual earrings. You just were very optimistic. You woke up and every day was your oyster.

15:17 Yes. Jac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news.

15:24 Yeah. I I think Bears Patriots one and two go get Max Crosby. There's nobody in the first round for the next two years, maybe next three, that's going to be as good as Max Crosby. There's not a guy in this draft outside of Fernando Mendoza potentially because he's taken 70 snaps a game, especially if the Raiders are trailing. He's throwing a lot. That that's influence. But none of these other picks are going to have the immediate impact of Max Crosby, Fernando Mendoza. Next year we got a bunch of quarterbacks that could. But if you take out Fernando Mendoza, what player in this draft for the first two years is going to post Max Crosby numbers? Bagel zero. Now that doesn't mean that guy isn't inexpensive and doesn't become great, but Max Crosby is a you're talking about one of the top I mean I love when they mic players and you and they keep the they keep the you know NFL films they watch them for the

16:18 entire game. Dude, he is one of those guys that does not take plays off. He is just He is I mean I again he's a 12-year-old on a two bags of Skittles. He never stops. It's like relentless energy. That is hard to play at that level. And remember the Raiders, just think how good Max Crosby would be if his team was good. But he's facing teams in the fourth quarter that are running the ball cuz they lead the Raiders by two touchdowns. Can you imagine if he played on Chicago and you lead late or New England and you lead late and the other team has to pass and Max Crosby can pin his ears back.

16:59 So, so Max Crosby usually eight minutes to go, his team trails. They're trying to they're trying to kill the clock. Now I get 15 late game snacks with snaps with Max Crosby pinning his ears back because the Patriots the Bears lead by eight or 10. I mean, I to me, I don't care about the number, that guy I want on my team. I mean, between my Max Crosby take and my Fernando Mendoza take, the fact that I'm not getting GM offers is surprising. It It's discouraging. I mean, today's show alone should qualify me for something.

17:37 Today's show brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet, Florida's best sports book. I know it's tough with no football, but like the song says, I will survive. Hard Rock Bet always something to bet every single night. Hoops, hockey, so much more. All the great same game parlays, live betting, player props. Hard Rock Bet is the official sports betting partner of the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, so they know their basketball as well. If you haven't signed up yet for Hard Rock Bet, never been a better time. uh signups, double your winnings on your first 10 bets, maximum 50 bucks. If you would have won 200 bucks in your bet, make that 200. Hard Rock Bet Sports Book only legal sports book for wherever you're in Florida or you also if you live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana Tennessee Michigan coming soon to more states. Hard Rock Bets got new promos daily. Whenever you're

18:31 listening, just open the app, check it out. Any day of the week, download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit. Here we go. It is a uh what is it, a Wednesday, a Thursday? I forget what day it is. Midweek Wednesday. It's great. It's the herd. We're live. We're in Chicago. I got to tell you, we have a show today. Well, I got so many things to talk about and and a story is developing. And I do not get the story. Good to see you. Warming up in Chicago. I almost wore cargo pants to work today. So, um, Clint Kubiaak is the new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I like the hire. He was quoted yesterday saying, "Hey, I got to watch a lot of tape to determine who's going to be the number one pick." Clint, I've seen the tape. Draft Fernando Mendoza.

19:27 What is happening over the last 48 hours on people I am talking to in the NFL is crazy. I'm getting real push back on Fernando Mendoza as an A quarterback prospect. The last time I got this much push back on a quarterback I loved and a lot of people in the league were a little cool on him. Maybe you've heard of him, Sam Darnold. Usually I agree with people. I always call on people, but the majority opinion I am hearing in the league is he is a good prospect. But Indiana football's about Kurt Signetti. What a croc that is. And I like Kurt Signetti.

20:11 Indiana loses three games this year minimum without Fernando Mendoza. Miami, Ohio State, and Penn State. Not winning those games. And I would argue maybe five losses. They trailed Iowa in the fourth and were tied with Oregon at Oson in the fourth. Maybe they win those, maybe they don't. But you could have had five losses without Mendoza. And a lot of Indiana fans, and by the way, Indiana football fan. You've mattered for 20 minutes. Lose the arrogance. You're not Oklahoma. You're not Ohio State. You're not Notre Dame. You're Indiana. You're a basketball school with a couple rich boosters. I didn't buy you last year. I called you fraud cuz you were. Because you had the number two scoring offense in the country. and you built it up against a bunch of you know Panera breads in the out of conference. Last year they hung this is premandoza Indiana hung 77 on Western Illinois 52 on something called Charlotte and 66 on

21:12 Perdont. You averaged 53 and a half points in your out of conference games. So, you thought that was a real flex and then you played Ohio State and had 150 yards offense and you played Notre Dame and you trailed 20 to three in the fourth before some garbage stats and you played a bad Michigan team and you had 40 yards rushing. Don't you don't matter. You had a great season and a great team the year before. I stand by everything I said. Fool's gold. And you p you played a bad Michigan team. They pushed you around. You couldn't move. You couldn't run the ball. And then Fernando Mendoza arrives and you drop, you know, 38 on Bama and 66 on a very, very good Illinois team and 50 plus on Oregon in the in the playoff or whatever it was. That's a legitimate team. 16-0 is a legitimate team.

22:05 So I I don't want to hear about all the whiny Indiana football fans, and we got a lot of them in the Fox building. I got a lot of whiners. Oh, a year ago you said I said the truth. You crushed Western Illinois. I don't even I mean I live in Illinois. I thought Western Illinois was Indiana. Is it a school that's on an island in the in the in the Lake Michigan? What is Western Illinois? Charlotte. What is that? This year you go to Penn State. You go to Ason. You're crushing Alabama. You're rolling people. You're beating Ohio State. You were totally legitimate. That's not signetti alone.

22:43 If if quarterback doesn't matter and it's all about signetti, then Kurt Signetti is the only coach in the history of football, AFL, NFL, college football, division one through division 13 where quarterback really doesn't have that much of an impact. Yeah, I'm going to say it does. And I thought last year a lot of that stuff last year with Indiana was cotton candy scheduling. When they faced the big boys, it was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. That Notre Dame game, they're punting in their own territory. They're punting at like the what are they punting like the Notre Dame 45 or something. You're like, "Yeah, give me a break." I mean, give me a You guys have I mean, everybody's got amnesia. This year's Indiana, yikes.

23:21 They were legit. But like any team, they were very reliant on a great quarterback. And I am getting so much push back on Fernando Mendoza. And I don't get it. Big accurate moves, humble gratitude. I don't get it. I watched him at Penn State. I watched him against Ohio State. I watched him against Miami's defense. He's unbelievable. And nobody loves him. Everybody likes him. My guy Todd McShane said this yesterday on the show. Talent is talent, right? And and I I really like Fernando Mendoza. He's tall. He's 6'5, 220. He's got mobility for his size. He's got a lot of energy on the ball. And he's smart. But he's not, if we're talking physically, he's not some of the guys we've seen in the last few drafts. He's not Caleb. He's not Jaden.

24:15 He's not Drake. He's not even Cam Ward. So, there's that to unpack. I like Cam Ward. Fernando Mendoza is not a better prospect than Cam Ward. I'm telling you, I don't What's the Will Ferrell line? You people are taking crazy pills. I'm not saying he's Andrew Lock. I'm not saying he's John Elway. I'm I'm not I'm not saying he has the horsepower of Caleb. I'm not saying is a prospect he's Josh Allen who Mel Kyper called a top 10 prospect ever. I'm not saying that. But I Kurt Signetti is great. Kurt Signetti had a BB gun offense the year before Mendoza arrived. It was a water pistol.

25:03 I mean, they were they were dominating, you know, directional schools. This year, they were kicking Alabama's butt. Okay. Yeah. The NIL got them a few more good players. No question. Couple edge rushers. One was hurt though. Got hurt. But I it's folks, every go look at Bellichic without Brady. every coach in the history of football. Go look at Bruce Arens when he had Brady and when he had Carson Palmer and then look at Bruce Arens when he didn't and Bruce Arian's a great coach. Every coach is driven by their quarterback play.

25:38 Andy Reed's unbelievable. He's way better with Mahomes. Okay, so that that just throws me for a loop. I get off the phone the last two days and I'm like, man, I like this guy way more than everybody else. There's so much I like about him. Okay, get you get me worked up on this stuff. The draft isn't even until April and I'm having, you know, I'm going nuts over here. Maybe it's the coffee. Okay, so last night Spurs play the Lakers. Two nights ago it was OKC Lakers. So two truths were on display. Number one is NBA fix your product. Luca Lebron and Austin Reeves were not available.

26:21 What a crappy product. You're a kid. You go to a game. You live in Palmdale. You go to one one game a year and you don't get LeBron, Luca. And by the way, the Warriors play tonight. No Steph, no Jimmy Butler. Butler's injured, but give me a break. Bad product. Here's everything in the NBA is a Yeah, but oh, we got to go watch the team tonight. Yeah, but so and so's not playing. I mean, in the NFL, you always get the Stars, right? And that sport, they tackle each other. Here's the other truth. those new wealthy Laker owners.

26:51 This going to hurt for J-Mack. They have watched the last two nights, OKC come into town and the Spurs come into town. And those two rosters compared to the Lakers, depth length defenders multiple scores, guys that aren't old and sleepy and can't play backto back. Those rosters are the best two rosters in the NBA. And those new Laker owners are watching those two teams waltz into Crypto Arena. And the Lakers look a mile away. A mile away. And you could say, "Well, the Lakers got injuries." The new Laker owners own the Dodgers.

27:33 The last two years, the 2025 Dodgers topped the record set by the 2024 Dodgers in pitchers used for a World Series winning team. The Dodgers have been beat up for two years. They're not interested in the excuses. Lucas, 27, supposed to be in his prime. Why has his game gotten more cerebral than athletic? Why is he hurt so much? Cuz Wimy's not in his prime. Five years younger, and he is a mile better than Luca right now cuz he actually plays defense, rim protector, runs the floor, does everything well. So those new Laker owners walked into this organization and the last two nights they have seen the league's truth. The gap WBY had 37 at half. Could have scored 70. He could have done whatever he I mean he they scored what do they score how many points they have at halftime? 74 points at halftime or something like that. I mean Spurs were just doing whatever they wanted to. And everybody tells me about Luca, and I

28:35 like Luca, but he's 27. The game's not as vertical. I'm sorry. He doesn't once again look to be in the best shape. So, people say, "Well, the Lakers have cap space." It is not a transactional league like that anymore. It's a draft and develop league. Look at the Pistons. Look at the Spurs. Look at OKC. Three best teams in the league. It is a draft and develop league. The sharp young GMs are crushing. So I I I got to tell you the la the last two nights and crypto is a perfect sponsor for the Lakers facility. Bloated valuation fools gold buying into gold and purple.

29:17 You know in in crypto they called a rug pull. They call it a rug pull when the price crers Lakers need a rug pull. They're GM rug pelinka. He may need to get pulled. Lakers against winning teams. 11 and 13 against winning teams. They're not good. Oh, they're unbelievable against the Wizards. So, I've I said it yesterday. JJ Reic, love him. Luca, like him a lot. Everybody else wrecking ball. Those new those new Laker owners, those cats, they're moving off Cody Bellinger, Manny Machado, Scott Seager, Trey Turner. Those are great players. Those are like Hall of Fame. I mean, Manny Machado is going to make the Hall of Fame. They're moving off those guys.

30:10 I mean, you watch the Spurs and the OKC, they all they both have more draft capital. They have more good players, great benches, unbelievable twitchy defenders and length. And they have like each five or six ascending players. Who's ascending on the Lakers? It's not Luca. I'll argue all day long it's not Luca. Luca is great. He's not ascending. His game has gotten more a little bit more cerebral, which is great, but it's not quite as athletic as three years ago, which would worry me because he's 27. Yeah. Okay, my bad. Spurs had 84 points at halftime.

30:48 I mean, well, Colin, this guy didn't play and this guy didn't play and this guy didn't play. Those Dodgers owners, I mean, that those guys have been winning World Series titles using 40 pitchers. I mean, they're just basically trying to figure out who's available for the eighth inning, you know, in your divisional round playoff series. They're running out of guys. Here's WY on his performance last night. this kind of games, you got to have, you know, the greed. But in every game, you have to have this greed, you know, to want more every time because, you know, at all times, it doesn't matter who's on the court, there's somebody who's going to want to stop you from doing what you do out there. So, you got to be greedy.

31:30 Uh, Greg Coell in 45 minutes. J-Mack, there's no reason to go into playbyplay on OKC

31:38 and San Antonio, but when you look at those two rosters, you look at that. I mean, the the Spurs just come in and Castle got hurt in the top of the second quarter, but if when you look at those rosters,

31:49 you're just like, "Wow, young ascent." And those teams have draft capital galore.

31:56 Yeah. Um, so I was at the game last night and uh, you know, we walk into the arena, we know who's out for the Lakers and we look at the first half line and it was only Spurs minus seven and a half. Now that was what I wish I had loaded up on. It was like, they were up 30 at halftime. It was a blood bath. The Lakers um, not competitive. The guy who's probably a little nervous right now, Colin, we talked about this yesterday. It's probably Rob Pelinka. I mean, I listen, I like the Lakers. I think they're going to be fine this season and do well in the postseason.

32:26 But, um, Rob, that roster looked really exposed last night compared to the Spurs whose bench players were miles better. I mean, Carter Bryant, the rookie from Arizona, Duncan, he was awesome. I mean, you should have seen him in the dunk line before the game. I was like, "Wow, who's this guy?" Uh, Spurs are loaded. They're going to be my pick. They're officially my pick to win the NBA title.

32:45 Yeah, I think so, too. I I I mean, they just, you know, these NBA champs, they have their starting five. They have their three to fourman rotation. the Spurs walk into town and if WMBB's playing it's the same starting five. It's the same four guys in the rotation. They're well they've been wellrun forever. Yeah. But when you watch upside and again you can say well the Lakers were missing bang bang bang. Well that's cuz LeBron can't play back to back. That's cuz Luca over the last three years is always dinged up. Austin Reeves not 100%. And you know so it's like you know it's funny. The Spurs are healthy.

33:15 OKC's always healthy. If it wasn't for flu the last two nights, you'd have had everybody else. When you have young players in their prime who are in great shape all the time, they don't get hurt as much. It's it's Anthony Davis can't stay healthy. Why would that be in his entire career? And I love Anthony Davis. One of the best defensive players of my lifetime. AD is an in his prime is one of the great defensive players I've ever seen. I said it two years ago or last year. Should have been defensive player of the year. Unbelievable talent. never healthy. What was a knock on him? Not in great shape.

33:50 I mean, I, you know, I'm not saying you have to be in D. Wade and LeBron shape, but the guys that get dinged up a lot. It's It's not just coincidence. I don't buy that.

33:59 All right. You get me worked up on this stuff Jac. I love how fired up you are. That Lakers rant was epic. I mean, they listen, they're going to be fine, but your rant was A+. Good stuff.

34:08 Oh, really appreciate that. Was it a Neurogum kind of morning? Are you back on that stuff?

34:12 You know, I flew cross country last night. Yes, I'm aware. And uh strangest thing happened. So I'm on the flight next to a guy. He's a big guy.

34:20 You know, I don't talk much on flights. I I get in, I sit down, I put in the pods, I I I stream, whatever, you know, go on Starlink or whatever, United Airlines. I don't talk a lot.

34:29 And all of a sudden, about an hour into the flight, the guy gets up. I'm thinking going to the bathroom. He disappears. It's a full flight. I'm like, where'd he go? And so I kept looking for about 10 minutes the bathroom. And I got up to stretch, but I I looked in the back. I'm like, "He's not on the plane." And I'm like, "We got a DB Cooper situation here. Somebody jumped out the back of the plane." And then about five minutes before we land, he walks up and sits next to me. And I said, "Uh, I was a little concerned. Where'd you go?" He's I had a buddy. I was texting the back of the plane.

35:04 And I'm like, "Yeah, I'm I'm telling you right now. I was like, who had a parachute? Who I I tried to identify everybody in first class? I got We got a DB Cooper thing." And I'm looking around it. I want to ID people to make sure, you know, I got my act together here. It was a wild night flying home. I didn't even, you know, I wasn't popping cocktails. I was ginger aleing it all the way home.

35:24 I got DB Cooper next to me. It was crazy.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Why Bears QB Caleb Williams is MOST-BET to win 2026 NFL MVP | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"?

Colin Cowherd (Host), Jack (Guest).

What is "Why Bears QB Caleb Williams is MOST-BET to win 2026 NFL MVP | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD" about?

Caleb Williams, the Bears quarterback, has emerged as the leading candidate to win the 2026 NFL MVP, primarily due to his dynamic playing style and the strong offensive coaching under Ben Johnson. The discussion highlights Williams' unique abilities in comparison to other quarterbacks and posits parallels between the Bears' offensive resurgence and past successful coaching transformations in the…

What is mentioned in this The Herd with Colin Cowherd episode?

22 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Fernando Mendoza, NFL, Max Crosby, Josh Allen, Super Bowl, Chicago Bears. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Why Bears QB Caleb Williams is MOST-BET to win 2026 NFL MVP | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD"?

The episode runs 35 min; the transcript is about 6,587 words in 81 timestamped sections.

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