Transcript

Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL

From The Herd with Colin Cowherd · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 51 min · 9,476 words · 123 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL", an episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd published January 28, 2026 (51 min, about 9,476 words). It mentions 29 people, works and ideas, including Sam Darnold, Bill Belichick, Super Bowl, Pat Mahomes, NFL.

What this episode is about

The content argues that Sam Darnold, the Seahawks quarterback, deserves more recognition for his impressive performance since reclaiming a starting role, highlighted by the highest winning percentage and passer rating in the league since late 2022. It emphasizes Darnold's physical attributes, coachability, and potential for success compared to other quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, suggesting that quarterback evaluation often overlooks crucial traits.

Key takeaways

  • Sam Darnold: A 28-year-old QB with a winning percentage higher than Mahomes? Pleasingly perplexing!
  • Underestimated much? Darnold’s stats rival MVP candidates, proving evaluation is more art than science.
  • Turnover king or aggressive gunslinger? Darnold's quarterback risks echo Matt Stafford's Super Bowl success.
  • Kirk Cousins had a bigger market than Tom Brady? Welcome to the NFL’s weirdest trade value paradox!
  • Quarterback evaluation: easier said than done, especially when GMs still miss obvious traits in talent.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Sam Darnold, Pat Mahomes, Super Bowl, Ian Brady
  2. – 10:00: Sam Darnold, Super Bowl, Pat Mahomes, Baker Mayfield
  3. – 15:00: Ohio State, Drake May, Sam Darnold, Jimmy Johnson
  4. – 20:00: Baker Mayfield, Cleveland, Kevin Stefansky, Ohio State
  5. – 25:00: Ian Brady, Buffalo, Drake May, Jimmy Johnson
  6. – 30:00: Pat Mahomes, Super Bowl, Buffalo, Cleveland
  7. – 35:00: New England
  8. – 40:00: Super Bowl, Bill Belichick, Jimmy Johnson, Albert Breer
  9. – 45:00: Jimmy Johnson, New England, Robert Kraft
  10. – 50:00: Jimmy Johnson, Super Bowl
  11. – 50:36: Robert Kraft

Notable quotes from "Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL"

  • Albert Brer said this, Are we really underappreciating what 28-year-old Sam Darnold has done? I think the most remarkable part of Sam Darnold making a Super Bowl and having back-to-back.
    about Sam Darnold · at
  • For our radio audience, the other quarterback is just slightly lower in virtually every statistic. So Sam is 5 to 8% better in every statistic. And who is that quarterback since 2022?
    about Josh Allen · at
  • Whoever this quarterback is, this is Sam Darnold.
    about Pat Mahomes · at
  • In here real quick so total fumbles this year among quarterbacks Yeah, Cam Ward, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield all had 11. Cam lost seven of them. So, ball security an issue. Sam…
    about Baker Mayfield · at
  • Everybody was freaking out. Well, the schedule came out for USC and what do you know? They have a six-game stretch of playing Oregon, Washington, Penn State, and Ohio State…
    about Ohio State · at
  • People and he's like blaming Kevin Stfansky for getting run out of Cleveland. Anyways, Stfansky tuh was meeting the media after he was announced as Falcons coach and he responded to Baker Mayfield.
    about Cleveland · at
  • They'll get a mid first round pick and they'll need another quarterback. the story of the day is obviously Bill Bellichic not getting in. People are outraged. I have criticized…
    about Bill Belichick · at
  • Into the Hall of Fame and Jimmy Johnson was just throwing haymakers and all upset, I'm I got to get Jimmy on.
    about Jimmy Johnson · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Sam Darnold — Person · Primary subject (referenced player) · 15 mentions · first at
    Central to the segment: the hosts debate whether Darnold’s recent winning, efficiency, and Super Bowl run are being underappreciated, including comparisons to elite QBs and discussion of turnovers and contract value.
  • Bill Belichick — Person · Referenced figure (Hall of Fame debate subject) · 1 mention · first at
    A major later segment centers on Belichick not making the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, including discussion of Spygate, voting methodology, and his legacy relative to Brady.
  • Pat Mahomes — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced player) · 6 mentions · first at
    Used repeatedly in blind-resume comparisons to argue Darnold’s efficiency/winning since 2022 is in the same neighborhood; also referenced in a turnovers context (picks across seasons).
  • Jimmy Johnson — Person · Referenced expert/guest voice (Hall of Fame debate) · 10 mentions · first at
    Presented as a Hall of Fame coach weighing in strongly on Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub and the eligibility methodology for coaches vs players.
  • Baker Mayfield — Person · Referenced player (news/drama topic) · 4 mentions · first at
    Central to a ‘news’ segment about perceived drama with Kevin Stefanski and Baker’s motivational narratives; used to discuss personality, leadership, and career arc.
  • Drake May — Person · Referenced player (ranking/valuation debate) · 4 mentions · first at
    Used in a ‘one game to win’ and top-10 QB discussion emphasizing mobility and upside; also contrasted with cap/rookie-deal economics later in the Bills/Patriots context.
    He literally led the NFL, did he not in completion percentage? Yeah.
  • Josh Allen — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced player) · 3 mentions · first at
    Used in a blind-resume comparison to argue Darnold’s post-2022 production/winning compares favorably; later referenced in the Bills coaching/cap discussion and mobility comparisons.
  • Matthew Stafford — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced player) · 3 mentions · first at
    Cited as a blind-resume comparator and as an example of a Super Bowl-winning QB who also led the league in interceptions/turnovers, supporting the argument that aggressiveness can be acceptable.
    Yeah. Again, much higher winning percentage. All the other numbers slight edge to Sam since 2022. That quarterback would be, you guessed it, Matt Stafford.
  • Jalen Hurts — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced player) · 2 mentions · first at
    Appears in a blind-resume comparison and as a contract-value reference point (“Hurts money”), with debate about whether Darnold belongs in the same tier given turnovers and team decisions.
    Well, we know one thing they'll have in common. Few weeks from now, both will have a trophy.
  • Albert Breer — Person · Referenced reporter/source · 3 mentions · first at
    Credited with the prompt that kicks off the Darnold discussion and later referenced as weighing in on Steelers organizational philosophy and the Belichick Hall of Fame debate.
    Albert Brer said this, Are we really underappreciating what 28-year-old Sam Darnold has done? I think the most remarkable part of Sam Darnold making a Super Bowl and having back-to-back.
  • Kevin Stefansky — Person · Referenced coach (news subject) · 3 mentions · first at
    Discussed in relation to Baker Mayfield’s comments and as a coach whose impact is evaluated via Baker’s with/without splits; portrayed as not responsible for the Watson decision.
    But I would not get into the specifics of those type of things other than to say I have a ton of respect for Baker as a player, as a person. That's a great team with a great player.
  • Kirk Cousins — Person · Referenced comparator (style/market demand) · 2 mentions · first at
    Used to criticize market evaluation (more demand than Brady) and to contrast conservative/underneath quarterbacking with Darnold/Stafford’s aggressive style.
    Does. When you watch a lot of these guys in the league doing the underneath stuff, Kirk Cousins, they don't want to get whacked. There's a lot of stuff that's underneath. Sam…
  • Lamar Jackson — Person · Comparison benchmark (referenced player) · 1 mention · first at
    Included in blind-resume comparisons and contract-value framing (highest-paid QB discussion), reinforcing the show’s argument about how Darnold stacks up statistically versus elite peers.
    Across the board, Sam, even or slight edge except passer rating. This quarterback has a higher passer rating, but this quarterback also has 10 more losses. Who is this quarterback?
  • Seth Wickersham — Person · Referenced reporter/analyst · 1 mention · first at
    Cited regarding Hall of Fame methodology and later quoted explaining why Belichick may have missed first-ballot induction (Spygate, vote-splitting assumptions).
    That's where things got really tricky. I think that there are some voters who didn't vote for him because of Spygate and because of the, the cheating and the rulebreaking that.
  • Ian Brady — Person · Referenced coach (hiring/promotion topic) · 6 mentions · first at
    Discussed in a segment about the risks of promoting from within; framed as moving from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo and tied to Josh Allen/cap constraints.
    In that room. I That's a tough one, Sean Peyton. Let's go to the final story, Colin. And that is Joe Brady going from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo.
  • Robert Kraft — Person · Referenced owner (power/relationship topic) · 3 mentions · first at
    Appears in the discussion of owner-coach dynamics and the deteriorated Kraft–Belichick relationship, used to illustrate how owners ultimately hold leverage in the NFL.
    Owners, they hold grudges. It gets personal and that's what money does to men. it's it there's a lot of people pushing back at Robert Craft, and I'm not s I'm not sure they're…
  • Drew Brees — Person · Referenced player (Hall of Fame eligibility example) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned to illustrate Hall of Fame eligibility timing for players versus coaches, supporting the fairness argument in the Belichick discussion.
    Years. Players still have to be out of the league for a long time. Tom Brady's not eligible for years. Drew Brees is just eligible, I believe, this year.

Concepts & topics

  • NFL — Concept · 2 mentions

Places & events

  • Super Bowl — Event · 12 mentions · first at
    Darnold has done? I think the most remarkable part of Sam Darnold making a Super Bowl and having back-to-back unbelievable years, in fact, if you go back to November 27th of…
  • Ohio State — Place · 6 mentions · first at
  • Cleveland — Place · 4 mentions · first at
  • Buffalo — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    In that room. I That's a tough one, Sean Peyton. Let's go to the final story, Colin. And that is Joe Brady going from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo.
  • Denver — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    Well, Drake May is I have to consider everything. He is young and super mobile. in the Denver game, he had the he had the scramble. He is very like the Herbert and Drake…
  • New England — Place · 3 mentions · first at
    They're already over the cap. Now, you know who's not over the cap? Their rival in the division. New England's 31 million under the cap. So, it's only going to get harder for Buffalo.
  • Arizona — Place · 2 mentions · first at
    Get over this. Like I And I know you love Sam Darnold. I like him. you know when we were at that Arizona Super Bowl, I'm outside on one of these parties and I see this guy on his phone.
  • College Football Playoff — Event · 2 mentions · first at
    Probably go? After the Ohio State game and before the Indiana game, they would wedge it in there. You can kiss the CFP goodbye baby.
  • Texas Longhorns — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Compare that to a Nick Sabin schedule just 5 years ago that had four cupcakes in it and only eight SEC games. Sabin got to play Duke, New Mexico State, Southern Miss, Western Carolina.
  • USC — Place · 1 mention · first at
    There was a big kurfuffle. There was a lot of controversy when USC said, We don't want to play Notre Dame anymore. We're now in the Big 10, and the Big 10's the best conference, three straight national championships. We.
  • Alabama — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Dominating the East, who was the second best team, Toronto. So, part of when Nick Sabin was dominating the SEC, Kirby Smart wasn't in Georgia. The minute he got to Georgia and…

Full transcript with timestamps

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. Albert Brer said this, "Are we really underappreciating what 28-year-old Sam Darnold has done?" Um, I think the most remarkable part of Sam Darnold making a Super Bowl and having back-to-back unbelievable years, um, in fact, if you go back to November 27th of like 2022 when he was benched by Carolina, then given the starting job again, if you go from that moment till today, it's the highest winning percentage in the league, higher than Mahomes and the highest 100 plus passer rating percentage in the league. I think second is like golf. So, but it's a remarkable.

He was 14 and3 in Minnesota and he did not have a big market. He didn't have a big market. And it reminds me of Tom Brady who came out in 2020 and only two teams wanted Tom Brady, the Chargers and the Buccaneers. And not only did Tom win a Super Bowl first year, but Tom four years later was still a top six quarterback in the league. So, I mean, I I I mean, Kirk Cousins, there was more demand for Kirk Cousins leaving Minnesota than Tom Brady when he hit the market and Sam Darnold. I like Kirk, but give me a break. So, you know, it's just one of those things where quarterback evaluation is hard, but it's not that hard. I mean, why did I go on the air and say Tibo, Johnny Manzel, and Zach Wilson? That is not going to work. Those are busts. I shouldn't be able to say that. and GMs are picking them in the first round.

You know, it it's it it's hard, but I've always said it's about traits. I don't care what your winning record was. And if you look at Darnold, big, 6'3, thick, athletic, big arm, unbelievably coachable, tough, tough guy. Everybody loves him. I'm like, that's just you're going to win games with that. You just got to get a competent coach. So I I we we do this thing called blind resume just how good Darnold has been because it really I think to this point is under reportported what he's done. So let's do a blind resume with Sam Darnold just to just give you a sense how good he's been. So the first one this is from 2022 the Carolina days. He's 32-9.

for our radio audience, the other quarterback is just slightly lower in virtually every statistic. So Sam is 5 to 8% better in every statistic. And who is that quarterback since 2022? Josh Allen. You know the MVP. Wins, completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating higher than Josh. Okay, let's do it again. Here's Sam Darnold since 2022. This quarterback Sam is Yeah. Again, much higher winning percentage. All the other numbers slight edge to Sam since 2022. That quarterback would be, you guessed it, Matt Stafford.

Who's going to win MVP basically this year was on fire against everybody not named Carolina. Okay, let's go to another one. Sam, since 2022, the Carolina Days across the board, Sam, even or slight edge except passer rating. This quarterback has a higher passer rating, but this quarterback also has 10 more losses. Who is this quarterback? Lamar Jackson, who's going to get a new contract, probably making him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Okay, let's do one or two more. Okay, since 2022. Here's Sam Narnold. That's Carolina. Year in San Francisco, Minnesota, Seattle. Uh, yeah, this again, Sam hasn't won as many games, but is um I mean, these quarterbacks might as well be the exact same guy.

Whoever this quarterback is, this is Sam Darnold. Let's see that. Okay, maybe you've heard of him. Patrick Mahomes hangs out with Taylor Swift. Maybe you've heard of him. I don't know. And let's see. Do we have one more? I mean, I think I've made my point on this. We have one more. All right. This quarterback, Sam, across the board, just more wins, better passer rating. Who's this quarterback since 2022? Jaylen Herz. Well, we know one thing they'll have in common. Few weeks from now, both will have a trophy.

Why you got to do this to me, dude? What? You don't want I don't think you want the Jaylen Hurt smoke against Sam Darnold, do you? Uh, interestingly, can we add another category on there live on television? Turnovers because Sam Darnold led the NFL in turnovers this year. Yes. More than Gino Smith and more than Tua. Come on, Colin. I I just can't get over this. Like I And I know you love Sam Darnold. I like him. uh you know when we were at that uh Arizona Super Bowl, I'm outside on one of these parties and I see this guy on his phone.

I'm like, "Holy cow, that's Sam Darnold." Went right up and talked to him. I was like, "Oh, I'm a Jets fan." Blah blah. Nicest guy. I'm a fan. I love the USC story.

The Minnesota Vikings had him in the building the entire season. They have a smart front office that's very shrewd. They have a super sharp coach who everybody likes. You call him Tall McVy.

Yeah. He had Sam Darn for the entire season and said, "You had a great run, 35 touchdowns, but we're going to move on." There is no planet where anybody would do that to Jaylen Herz who won a Super Bowl MVP.

Let me let me let me throw this out. I always try to be consistent on this show.

Yeah. I have defended quarterbacks who throw interceptions because most of your great coaches bake it in. I want you throwing 38 times. I want you throwing it downfield. If Darnold wins the Super Bowl, he will be the second quarterback to win one and lead the league in picks or turnovers. The other is Matt Stafford as a Ram. Matt Stafford throws the ball aggressively down the field. Sam Darnold does. When you watch a lot of these guys in the league doing the underneath stuff, Kirk Cousins, they don't want to get whacked. There's a lot of stuff that's underneath. Sam is letting it rip. Stafford is letting it rip. I have defended forever. Andrew Luck, by the way, Eli Manning, two Super Bowls. I want my quarterback to be aggressive. I want my general manager to be aggressive. I want my coach to be aggressive.

I don't think in a league with the the margins are this thin, you win being safe. That's why I said with both Shawn Payeyton and McVey going for it on fourth, I just hated the play call by Shawn Peyton. I didn't hate going for it. I just not going to put the ball in Jared Stidum's hands.

But um Stitty. Hey, so let me ask you Colin. Sam Donnell is not one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league or even close.

No, I am on Seattle to win the Super Bowl. I'm rooting for them. My I'm financially invested.

What do you do if Sam Donnell wins a Super Bowl? Does he then have the ability to go to Seattle and be like, "Hey, I I want a Super Bowl. I want Jaylen Herz money. I want top five quarterback." But can he do that? Because all of a sudden, you know, stats show he's right up there with Mahomes and Lamar. Like, is that what's coming next for Sam Darnold?

Uh, I don't think that's his personality. Um, I don't. Uh, 20 mil on the table when those guys are pocketing 55 and he's at 35 or whatever the numbers are.

I I don't know. I think he has I thought he had a a two or a three-year deal. I don't think they're going to

look into the contract. I'm just curious like you win the Super Bowl, you're the MVP. You kind of get what you ask for, right? Hey, I I need I need a new deal. That's how this work. That's how the business works.

Well, I I I don't I don't think it I don't think that's his personality. And I don't think he'll get it. And I don't think I mean he he may Seattle is drafted so well they probably I don't know what their cap situation is yet but

they got like three quarterbacks who are going to be free agents uh and could be on the move so that that wouldn't be ideal.

This is interesting. The staff just sent me this. He's under contract Darnold for two more years.

Okay. From 2022 to 2023 Mahomes had the second most picks across those seasons and the Chiefs won back-to-back Super Bowls. I think old school thinking can't throw picks. Stafford won a Super Bowl. Mahomes won back-to-back Super Bowls. Darnold is favored to win the Super Bowl with all those picks. The other thing is teams don't huddle as much as they used to. The the pace like the NBA, the pace is faster. What does that mean? If you used to throw an interception and there were only 49 snaps, what if you have 68 and throw an interception? you can you can make an you can throw an interception and you can recover from it because now you're getting another 18 snaps or whatever it is per game. So it's again it's it's over the course of a concert a three you know an hour concert as a as a musician if you hit the wrong note once be one thing if you were doing a song if you're doing 16 you can hit the wrong note once and my take

is the game is faster there's more snaps quarterbacks now often throw more times than there were snaps 20 years ago so I can live with interceptions

okay so it's not just interceptions though it's fumbles I have to punch it in here real quick so total fumbles this year among quarterbacks Yeah,

Cam Ward, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield all had 11. Cam lost seven of them. So, ball security an issue. Sam Darnold lost six. Second most among quarterbacks. And ball security was a bugaboo of his with the Jets. He gets a little loosey goosey in the pocket. So, it's not just the interceptions. Again, he's a really good quarterback. I don't think this this great game he had against the Rams, one game vaults him into like top 10 quarterback status in the league.

No, I was thinking about this. If when you and and and I I I'm not going to do a list, but if you think about top 10 quarterbacks in the league, you have to consider everything.

Yeah. And right now, what do I do with Darnold and what do I do with Drake May?

What what do I do with Drake May? He literally led the NFL, did he not in completion percentage? Yeah.

He has won 16 of his last 17 games with a bad offensive line in a run game that took a while to get going.

I mean, it's Well, what do I do with Drake May? I think he's a top 10 quarterback.

Let me posit this question, Colin, based on that. So, you have one game to win. Forget salary. One game to win. You plop him on your team. You got Here we go. Are you taking Dak Prescott or Drake May?

Drake May. Wow, that was fast. But I like Jared Goff or Drake May. Drake May can move. Drake May.

So, you have you clearly have Drake May as a top 10 quarter. Well, Drake May is I have to consider everything. He is young and super mobile. I mean, in in the Denver game, he had the he had the scramble. He is very like like the Herbert and Drake Mazize. They can get out of the pocket and give me extra plays. Caleb Williams, you you you call a play with Caleb Williams, it goes south. So what? I get a second play.

Same with Allen. Same with Drake May. You don't get that with Goff. You don't get that with Matt Stafford. The play you call is the play you get and that's it. So when I have a young guy that can move, I mean, you you saw what what Josh McDaniel was doing in two of the biggest plays of the game.

Yeah. He wanted Drake made a run. You can't do that if you're the Rams. You don't get that play. It reminds me of Dak Prescott early. He was running a lot, Colin, his like first five years. Then he had that gnarly leg injury. He's not running as much. He's a He's more of a pocket guy than he used to be. He used to scramble with his legs. So that's that's a fair point on May. Darnold also very mobile with the legs. He can move. He can scoot as they say.

Yeah. Wow. Okay. Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Famer, uh, who for the record had to wait a long time to get into the Hall of Fame. Uh, you know, used to be coaches. You had to be out of the league what, five, six years. Players still have to be out of the league for a long time. Tom Brady's not eligible for years. Drew Brees is just eligible, I believe, this year. Now, coaches, all they have to do is wait one year. I I don't like if players have to wait. Why do coaches get in? Players are more valuable than coaches. We watch for players more than we watch for coaches. I I don't love that kind of alteration of methodology. Seth Wickersam talked about that. So did Albert Beer, Jimmy Johnson. Next, by the way, uh, Big 10 schedules came out.

There was a big kurfuffle. There was a lot of controversy when USC said, "We don't want to play Notre Dame anymore. We're now in the Big 10, and the Big 10's the best conference, three straight national championships. We don't want to have to wedge a Notre Dame game in in between Ohio State and Penn State or Indiana and Ohio State. Everybody was freaking out. Well, the schedule came out for USC and what do you know? They have a six-game stretch of playing Oregon, Washington, Penn State, and Ohio State Indiana. Do you know where the Notre Dame game would probably go? After the Ohio State game and before the Indiana game, they would wedge it in there. You can kiss the CFP goodbye baby.

The world has changed. Just to illustrate how much tougher schedules are, it used to be an SEC team only had to play eight conference games. Now you have to play nine. Let's look at the Texas Longhorns schedule this year. The Texas Longhorns, Ohio State at Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, at LSU, AT&M, Old Miss. Compare that to a Nick Sabin schedule just 5 years ago that had four cupcakes in it and only eight SEC games. Sabin got to play Duke, New Mexico State, Southern Miss, Western Carolina. Okay, it's a joke. So you the world changes. USC to its credit said we're playing in the toughest conference.

Like like we need another game. I mean, give Ohio State credit and Texas credit. They don't have to play. They're willing to, which we win. But Joel Clatt and I talked about this. Notre Dame plays in a weaker conference and has, you know, this new addendum where all they have to do is finish in the top 12 and they're automatically in. USC doesn't get a play by those rules. Texas doesn't get a play by those rules. Ohio State doesn't get a play by those rules. Here's Joel Clad. Listen, it does not behoove anybody. I can't believe I'm saying this, but like to schedule Notre Dame because they they have such an advantage over these teams that are playing and in the Big 10 in the SEC's cases much more difficult schedules. And now there's this bar, like a minimum bar where all Notre Dame has to do is be in the top 12 with their schedule. That's that that's crazy. Go look at Ohio State schedule,

Texas schedule, USC schedule, Oregon schedule, and then go look at Notre Dame's and Notre Dame gets the automatic. I mean, Ohio State schedule is brutal at Texas. Illinois now is legit at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, Oregon. That's a three-game stretch. That is a three-game stretch. At Indiana, at USC, it's the most talented USC team in years. And then Oregon. Yeah, I'd say that's pretty tough. So, I don't know. I I uh and I'm not, you know, I I think this is good for you, the consumer, and me, the sports guy. I I like more good schedules. And I think, you know, I think you should be able to lose two games now, maybe even three, depending on your schedule and get in. But the world has changed. Go back to some of those Sabin 2018 2019 schedules. I mean, give me a break, man.

Four cupcakes. It's a bakery down there. Jmack with the news. No, NO, NO. TURN ON THE NEWS.

This is the herd line news. Heard. Uh, you cracked me up today. He's on one, folks. All right, let's get started with this. Kevin Stefansky, Baker Mayfield drama. You know, like Baker Mayfield's got a little Michael Jordan in him, right? He has to create these narratives in his head that sound good to like motivate him to go against people and and he's like blaming Kevin Stfansky for getting run out of Cleveland. Anyways, um Stfansky tuh was meeting the media after he was announced as Falcons coach and uh he responded to Baker Mayfield.

I love rivalries in sports and obviously Buccaneers Falcons have a great rivalry. something that I'm excited about. Uh, but I would not get into the specifics of those type of things other than to say I have a ton of respect for Baker as a player, as a person. That's a great team with with a great player.

There you go. I like Stfinsky. I know. I know a lot of morons out there uh are like, "Oh, he won two coach of the year. What does he want?" Oh, give me the win. Like, settle down. He was in Cleveland. Colin, do people not understand how bad it's dysfunctional this franchise has been?

Yeah. and and and our staff put together some Baker numbers with and without Stfans just to see if there's any big difference. You tell me. I don't know, Colin.

Anything big there. Well, he had a much better winning percentage with Stfansky than without.

Yeah, imagine that in the factory of sadness Cleveland. I I'll just remind people, including Baker, what happened? Basically, he got run out, but they were doing it for Deshun Watson. And that's not Kevin Stfansky pulling the strings.

Why can't I like both? I like Stfansky and I like Baker. I like both and I root for both. I do.

You like what Baker Mayfield's doing here though, Colin? That's the real question. Out of the blue, he's just all of a sudden taking shots at Safensky.

Listen, that's Baker's personality, right? There's a reason I offered him a podcast at at at my little podcast company. There's a reason I offered him a podcast. He's fascinating personality. He is just got a he's got a chip on both shoulders. He is just firing.

He can only take you so far though. Come on. Yeah. Johnny Manzel. All these guys fascinating personality is a much much better player than Johnny.

Better player. Yeah. But personality, I don't know. Well, no. I think Johnny had issues with that that are now acknowledged in his personal um life that are much deeper and more troubling. Baker's got I don't even think it's ego. I think Baker is one of those guys who's been doubted his entire life and he uses it as fuel and I totally respect that. He starts a few too many fires for my taste. But that's just me. I I don't want my quarterback

being bulletin board guy. But you know what? It works for him. He's had a heck of a career and I'm uh I I don't root against Baker. I when he wins it's good for the league.

I mean Bill Pollon might vote him in the Hall of Fame over Bill Bich. I I don't know. All right, let's move on to the Denver Broncos con. weirdish situation. So, they lose the ASC championship and yesterday the Broncos fired their offensive coordinator.

Yeah. Joe Lombardi and two other assistants. Wait, it gets better. So, all the criticism is for that fourth down call.

It's like, bro, uh Lombardi is not calling the plays. That was all Shawn Payeyton as we heard from our guest Wickers Sham earlier. There's a young guy on the staff, Davis Webb, that everybody thinks is the next hot shot and and maybe Lombardi was sort of blocking his ascension within the staff. I think Lombardi's got a

I always thought he had a decent reputation, good reputation. I think sometimes Payton and it's hard. You don't want to be Aaron Glenn and get rid of everybody, but I don't think it's the worst thing in the world every year to tweak somebody on your staff. I don't think that's terrible. I think there's there's history that proves remember when the Bucks won the title and they they brought everybody back the following year and it's like I think it's there there is an argument to be made you should change your roster by 10 to 12% and you should probably move off a couple of coaches just for freshness, new eyes, new narrative, new point of view. Lombardi will get a job. That's not that I mean I don't think this is a

um I don't this I don't think this speaks to some level of incompetence by Lombardi. I think he just Shawn's moving off and he's got a young guy in the staff that he wants to elevate.

Davis Webb has been interviewing around the league for OC and I think he got some head coaching which is a little crazy. He's a young guy. This guy was a backup like five years ago.

Yeah. And and now all of a sudden he's interviewing for jobs. So, the best way to keep him on staff is to kind of bounce somebody, which that's Listen, that's a this is a cold world out there, Colin. That is rough.

That's that's a tough way to treat a veteran. Lombardi is like 54 years old. He's been around the league. Um I would just say, you know, Bo Knicks, you thought he had a good season. Boh Lombardi clearly as the OC did something in that room. I That's a tough one, Sean Peyton. Let's go to the final story, Colin. And that is uh Joe Brady going from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo.

Yeah. And uh I kind of love what our staff did here. So you've been beating this drum to death and you've been right about it. Promoting from within is very dangerous. Yes.

Right. Historically it doesn't work. Colin, I want you to take a look at guys who have been promoted from uh a coordinator to head coach in the just since 2016. You find me the winners on here.

So these are Oh my god. Nice job of the staff. These I want to I want to do this for our radio audience because this is a big big graphic. So these are the assistants promoted to head coach within the organiz. The comfortable hire

last nine years. Brian Shottnimer, Todd BS, Gerrod Mayo, Antonio Pierce, Dennis Allen, Lovey Smith, Doug Marone, Freddy Kitchens, Dirk Cutter, and Ben McAdoo.

There's one guy with a winning record on there and that is Todd BS. That's it. I mean, Colin, this is the ultimate poo poo platter.

I know people love Joe Brady, but So, this has been my knock forever at the college level.

Is that what do you think the chances are in the NFL when there's only 32 head jobs that the single best candidate in your domestic search is in the building? What are the chances of that? That I mean, everybody does this because it's comfortable.

Yeah. But this graphic shows what are the chances like when Ben Johnson leaves like let's go get that guy that used to be here. Is that the best candidate? And I've always said this, the greater the coach who leaves, the wider the search has to be to replace him. If Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan, you don't give it to a guy in the staff. You go get

forgot about, you know, you go get the hottest coach on the market. You you call Lane Keifin at Old Miss and say, "Okay, you want to interview?" I mean, you go get the guy who can recruit. It's Michigan. It's Blueb Blood. It almost never in my childhood growing up, all my favorite regional college teams. And I could give you the names and not bore you. Oregon State, Jimmy Anderson basketball, Jim Lambrite, they all these programs that I loved, they all gave it to the popular assistant at one point. Nice men. None of them were as good as the legend that moved on. I just don't think the answer is usually down the hallway. I I just don't

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

You know, the other thing with with um Joe Brady, Josh Allen's cap hit this year was 36 million. Next year it's 56 million. So, they're they're the fourth oldest team in the league now. That means as teams get older, there's more injuries. They're already over the cap. Now, you know who's not over the cap? Their rival in the division. New England's 31 million under the cap. So, I mean, it's only going to get harder for Buffalo. They're old with no cap room. And Josh Cost more. Drake May is still discount counter. They've got 31 million more uh cap space. I mean, the Bills right now are are 14 million over the cap today.

So, whoever gets the Bills job, it's a harder lift next year than this year. In my opinion, Drake May should be even better next year with this whole playoff run. It's the hurt. Jimmy Johnson, Seth Wickers Sham, Albert Brer all weighing in. Bill Bich doesn't make the Hall of Fame. All sorts of different opinions today. Jimmy Johnson, this is outrageous. I I just I saw an article the the Hall of Fame will never recover. I think it will. It's u I think it'll recover just fine. Uh Jac with the news.

NO, NO, NO. TURN ON THE NEWS. THIS is the herd line news. You know, it's been a great January, Colin. We haven't talked about the Kansas City Chiefs because they missed the playoffs and they were a disaster this season. But guess what? Andy Reid is kind of excited to leave the struggles behind. Colin, I mean, it was a rough year for the Chiefs. Reed Mahomes obviously injured, nine straight division titles as toast. Here's Andy Reid.

Well, listen, I'm fired up to get in this off season and get going. I We didn't do very well this past year, and that's not been our MO there. So, I I I want to fix a problem and let's let's uh um the problems that we had and and um in all phases, you know, it change can be good sometimes for you and and so that's what I'm fired up about.

Listen, they have a good draft pick finally. Seriously, I mean, it it's they have a great GM and they have a good draft pick. It's I think it's very difficult to draft at the bottom of the first round. And I've talked to GMs through the years multiple times. They're like it's Death Valley. You get down to like 23 and you're basically paying a first round price for a second round guy and you you there there's always a sense Jac 16 picks are first round. They're difference makers. And then you go from about pick 17 18 to the bottom of the second and you're like a lot of times those guys will be good but they're not ready to help you quite yet you drafted him in a space fans want him to make a contribution. Coaches can put pressure on them. So a great example of that is the Chiefs drafted Xavier Worthy who I think's a great gadget guy but if you draft a first round receiver you'd like I I want JSN. Well, no, no, no.

He's he's not necessarily at the end of the first round. So, I think, you know, Buffalo Baltimore Kansas City, Rams are getting into this now. When you draft at the bottom of a first round, Rams have an earlier pick. It's just really hard to, you know, the these it's just tough. Like, they've got a lot of good players. Chiefs don't have a lot of great players in my opinion.

Yeah. I'm going to reach for my violin here. OH, COLIN, WE IT'S SO TOUGH TO draft at the end of the first round. Yeah, tell that to the Philadelphia Eagles and Howie Roseman. Okay, like I don't WANT TO HEAR IT. BOTTOM line is the Chiefs don't have a lot of good players. I know the GM has been great. He hasn't been amazing of late. Colin, look at the stats for your boy Mahomes. You want to talk turnovers? You like turnovers. Patrick Mahomes is your guy. I mean, listen, they couldn't win a one-sore game to save their life. I'm sorry. I'm excited that this team is down and I'm just telling you right now, Colin, I know we have a bunch of new playoff teams every year.

Yeah, I don't think the Chiefs are a lock to get to the playoffs as of now. Now, let's see what if that changes free agency in the draft, but they've got an uphill climb.

Well, I mean, the Chargers will upgrade. Their tackles will be healthy. They'll have another Harbaugh right out of college draft and they have upgraded significantly. Many believe an offensive coordinator. The Chargers will be better. We talked about this with Denver. Bo Nicks is going to get better with more starts. They've got a young OC everybody loves and they've got some I don't think they have the Russell Wilson cap hit anymore. I think they're out of that. So, they got some space. It is now depending on who the Raiders hire. I mean, it between Harbaugh, Andy Reid, and Shawn Payeyton, there's the argument it's the best coach division in the sport. So, I I've always said this, when you have dynasties, when LeBron was dominating the East, who was the second best team, Toronto. So, I mean, part of when Nick Sabin was dominating the SEC, Kirby Smart wasn't in Georgia. The minute he got to Georgia and Texas came

into the conference, Alabama didn't look and play the same. So, I think it's just it's a really hard division to win 13 games going forward.

Yeah. A lot of chatter that the Raiders are targeting Kubak, the OC for Seattle, in which case they'd have to wait until after the Super Bowl. Here's my thing. Raiders is still an attractive job because of Mendoza. Would you agree? Um I I think men Yeah. I mean I get a really talented quarterback and don't have to pay him big money for five years. That is attractive.

I say Raiders is a better job than Arizona and Cleveland. Yes. Yes. Absolutely. And and yes, absolutely. No question. It's better than that. Better than Cleveland. Absolutely.

All right, let's go to the NBA. Colin, my guy LeBron James, the greatest basketball player in the history of the sport, obviously is uh, you know, voicing displeasure about a new rule, uh, talking about how much more difficult the league is now with pace and speed than it was in the 80s and 90s. And he's arguing um, pretty voseiferously. Here we go.

The game is different. Like I I want people to understand and our fans to understand that playing 82 games in the 80s and 90s is not the same as playing 82 games in the 2020s. You know, it's a lot of soft tissue injuries that's happened now because of it. I hope we can get a handle on that as well, you know, because that's big in our game.

Okay. But I would push back. Oh, okay. Yeah, you're right. The game's faster and it's less physical. you shoot more threes. In the 80s and 90s, it was a mid-range game. You had to bump and grind to get your shot. Go look at the Pistons and the Lakers and the Knicks. People were tackling each other. So, yes, the game is slower then, but much more physical than guys were flying. By the way, I don't know when it changed, but people were flying commercial. You you know, it did that didn't happen for a while. So, I mean, the travel was tougher. The nutrition wasn't as good, the game was more physical, the Pistons and the Bulls, these were un the Celtics were I mean, it was like full contact sport. So, yeah, the game is faster and there are some soft tissue injuries, but the game was much more physical then and guys still didn't miss as many games as they're missing. So, you Yeah, he's right. But also ask yourself this,

J-Mack, when you're running down the floor and shooting threes and don't have to initiate physicality, like Luca, I went and watched Luca the other night against the Bulls.

He barely gets touched. He shoots threes and waltzes down and doesn't play any defense. So, he's not getting banged on very much. When Isaiah Thomas was scoring his points and Michael was scoring his points and Bird was scoring his points, you're getting closlined twice a week.

I know. I mean, okay. I I'd like to see some data to back that up. But you were at that Bulls Lakers game, Colin. You want to talk about 80s and 90s verse now. You saw when Jackson Hayes, the center, sevenfooter, stole the ball at the three-point line, went in under the legs dunk, a sevenfooter.

Yeah, Colin. The athleticism, the skill. These guys are way better than 80s. Let me ask you this.

Yeah. The Showtime Lakers didn't have uptempo. Yeah. Kareem Abdul Jabbar was not sprinting up and down the floor like the sevenfooters now. I mean, what Doug Moe's Nuggets, the Suns with Nash, those teams weren't uptempo. People were scoring 125 points without the three-point shot being really part of the culture like it is today.

7 seconds or less with the Suns. I think that was like 2007. I guess the last point here is let's not forget in the '9s it was the expansion era. You had the new teams come in, four teams over I think the span of seven years, and the talent was diluted. Go look at some of those Michael Jordan regular season highlights. Okay, he's going against guys that would not sniff the current NBA. So, LeBron is definitely on to something. You know, I'm gonna ride for my guy LeBron, even up or down. I got I'll call it like I see it. And the Lakers, Colin, Austin Reeves is coming back soon, just as a reminder. I know you're excited. Uh, all right, let's go to the final story. And um the kind souls on this staff have wedged the New York Jets into the show because they're my favorite team, but

only because an anonymous critic uh who is a former GM told ESPN that Aaron Glenn with New York has done nothing for the culture and that they played like a bunch of guys punching time clocks. They didn't want to be there. Take it away, big guy. What do you got? Well, I think the good news is next year's a great quarterback draft class. The Jets will have the first or second pick. Uh, which by the way means they could move down to six or seven and still get one of the top three or four quarterbacks. So, in one year from today, the conversation will be very optimistic and very hopeful for the Jets. It's now that for the Giants who have a good quarterback on a rookie deal and John Harbaugh. So now today the Giants discussions are very positive and optimistic and should be the Jets will be in a year but there they he appears to be a coach and this happens all the time that his he is a coordinator a very

good player a very good position coach maybe a really good coordinator it to this point it doesn't look like he's going to be a great head coach

and he's got an uphill climb let's be real okay they're not going to be good next year I'm already anticipating you mocking them when they lose 35 nothing in the opener You're going to lose a lot of games.

But you know what? I'm fine with that because we need a quarterback. And no, I don't want to go chase Kyler Murray or or or Malik Willis. Draft and develop your quarterback. Jets, just we're going to be patient, folks.

All right. Well, I like positive people. There we go. Jac with the news. Well, that's the news

and thanks for stopping by. The herd lie news. I I don't think it's the end of the world. Like, the Jets have been bad forever. for what's one more year and next year you're going to have five or six. I mean, I think the Jets are going to end up winning like three games. I mean, max four that they're going to have the first or second pick and you're going to have like six quarterbacks next year. Arch Manning is going to be available and you'll be moving on to a new coach and a new staff. And we saw what New England did with Vrabel. You get the right coach with Ben Johnson, Vrabel, it folks, it doesn't take long. I mean, you you you're dealing with 25, 28, 30, 31, you're going to have a ton of cap room.

You're going to have a new coach, a new quarterback. They're going to be bad this year. So what? They've been bad forever. You're a year away from being very, very positive. I mean, the New York Giants have been a mess for a decade. Every Giant fan is so fired up for the season. Why? John Harbaugh is an excellent coach. Uh Jackson Dart is talented enough to be a starter. Um you know, they've got some really, really nice elements along the defensive line. Uh and at skill positions, Giants are going to be good. It just, you know, some of this stuff, some of these organizations have to bottom out. like Pittsburgh Steelers are not comfortable bottoming out. Albert Brerier said last hour they don't want to be terrible. I don't I don't really get that way of thinking at all, but um that that's the way Pittsburgh thinks. They want to be viable and I think if Aaron plays and Mike McCarthy, they will be they'll win

like nine games. They're not going to win a Super Bowl. Um and maybe that and they'll get a mid first round pick and they'll need another quarterback. Um, the story of the day is obviously Bill Bellichic not getting in. People are outraged. I I have criticized the media before for something. It's not the end of the world. He's going to get in. People are all worked up. The great thing about politics and sports, it's what people argue about and debate about in bars. Like, it's great. He's going to get in. He's obviously a Hall of Famer.

I would have voted him in. But when you looked at Bill Walsh did not get in first time he was eligible. Vince Lombardi didn't. Joe Gibbs who won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks didn't get in. Don Scheler the winningest coach had to wait five years until he was eligible. You know they changed the methodology. Now Bill Bellichic can get in just, you know, a year or two after he leaves the sport. Okay, that's never been the case. So, I do think some voters are like, "Wait a minute. All these other coaches waited. Brady's got to wait." And Brady's career defines Bellich's winning. We're going to make him wait a year. And a few guys talk themselves out of it. Shouldn't have. It should be a yes or no vote. I would have voted him in. But I I mean, stuff like this happens. It's it's one of one of the great things about sports is today you can contextualize it, talk about it.

Here's Seth Wickersam on on, you know, why he thinks maybe Bellichic came up short. That's where things got really tricky. I think that there are some voters who didn't vote for him because of Spygate and because of the, you know, the cheating and the rulebreaking that happened during that time. And then I think there's a lot of voters who tried to vote for their guys with the assumption that Bellich was going to get in. I think they figured that it was a fatal comple. And so because of that, it's like this perfect storm of, you know, dysfunction where a guy who has eight Super Bowl rings and is the second winningest coach of all time, greatest coach at least of the Super Bowl era in the NFL, didn't get in. I think that's what happened.

Yeah, there's a lot of talk about Spygate. And I I think there's Listen, you the 2007 Super Bowl week, Roger Goodell is sitting there having to answer questions about Spygate. That ticked him off. It ticked a lot of owners off. It ticked a lot of people off. And the NFL, I think it was Seth Wickerssham who told us, had warned Bellich for seven years about the taping. Okay. So, you know, there there's a lot of things that go into the process. Take a deep breath. Bill's going to get in. He's an all-time great coach. It has not ended well. Uh, you know, it's not been the greatest ending to a movie. And I'm sure Bill is disappointed. And by the way, that's why you bring Jimmy Johnson on the show to defend it. Uh he I think he is um it is it is interesting though that when you take Brady out of his career, he wins 44% of his games. That's Anthony Lynn.

Now now, do we hold him to a higher level? And and was he very vital in those early Super Bowls where Brady wasn't fully developed? Of course. But it it just shows you. I mean, I've always said this about Andy Reid and Joe Gibbs and Don Schula. They got the Super Bowls with multiple guys. Parcels won a Super Bowl with Jeff Hostettler and Phil Sims and he was Bellichc's mentor. So, um it's also interesting how many great coaches Parcels had issues with Jerry Jones and Craft. Uh Jimmy had issues with uh you know Jerry Jones. Bills Bellich check had issues with craft. Um you know the pro football the coach has a lot of power. You can cut anybody basically anytime you want. The one person they don't have power over is the owner cuz most coaches when they get to 15 18 million or whatever they make now and it's been this way a long time.

Whoever's making if you have a big gap in in in earnings between coach and GM McVey and less sneeed, if the gap is significant, the coach has the power. The owner's paying one guy this, the other guy that. But they don't have power over the owner. And as owners now are worth billions of dollars, not hundreds of millions, 8, 12, 15, $18 billion, they have gotten a much more impulsive and b willing. little vindictive to just rip up contracts and start over. So, the coach has never had power in this league over the owner. Now, sometimes the owners, they hold grudges. It gets personal and that's what money does to men. You know, it's it there's a lot of people pushing back at Robert Craft, and I'm not s I'm not sure they're wrong on that, but that relationship has deteriorated badly. And owners are usually going to win because they're the boss of Roger Goodell. That's just the reality of it. You can argue it. You can

think it's wrong. I'm not saying it's right, but you know, the owners run this league. Yeah. When I mean, when Jerry Jones complained however long ago, we have to protect our quarterbacks. It's my number one asset. I'm paying my quarterback all this money and you're letting people take shots at them. Suddenly the rules change right now. You can't touch quarterbacks. Well, who do you think instituted that? Not defensive coaches, not defensive coordinators. That's owners. I'm paying this guy 50 million. I need him upright.

Protect them. So, you know, it it's it's been a fun day. Live in Chicago. It's the herd. Jimmy Johnson and I uh struck up a friendship years ago. We we would talk a lot about uh before he would go on the show on Sundays, I would ask him, pepper him with questions and he talked a lot about Bill Bich coming down and his admiration for Bill and he thought Bill was the best coach ever. And so when I woke up this morning and Bill didn't get into the Hall of Fame and Jimmy Johnson was just throwing haymakers and all upset, I'm like, I got to get Jimmy on.

I want to hear his perspective. We had Seth Wickers Sham's perspective. We had Albert Brerier's perspective and mine, which is it is kind of interesting. Um, Mariano Rivera is the only baseball player ever that got a 100% of the votes. It wasn't because of sheer production. and it was because he was great and he's like the most gracious humble guy ever. And I do think Bellich through the years ticked off some people and you don't think it should matter. But if you know a guy's going to get into the Hall of Fame and it's his first run, I can see some people saying, you know, screw you. You made my life difficult and you didn't have to. Uh that's life, you know. Uh here here's Jimmy though saying coaches should be eligible to get into a Hall of Fame before players. Here is his argument.

Coaches are a lot older than players. And you'd like to get the coach in before he's dead, you know, and so, you know, because of the age of coaches, uh, it's not like, you know, they're going to retire, uh, you know, when they're 31. They're going to retire when they're 65. And so, because of the difference in the age, you know, the coaches really need to go in, you know, really before they get to the point to where they can enjoy it. Um, you know, it's it's interesting when you see somebody that is hardened by it like Bill Bich later years very hardened like he didn't care.

But when I watched the documentary and I watched old clips of Bellich on the podium, he was, you know, kind of young and good-looking guy. He was actually occasionally funny with the media and he turned on them. And what that really proves is Bill does have a heart. Stuff did bother Bill. He felt the media was unfair and he got real cranky and a little bit vindictive. And so, you know, Bill can be framed as this ogre who doesn't care. But the truth is the reason that Bobby Knight did care. It did bother him. And the crusty kromagin guy, he is bothered by it. It's like the athlete who puts the chest out to was always like most alpha and then he would break down and start crying at the podium. So would Dennis Rodman. It's all a little bit of a front like all these people. And I asked Jimmy Johnson, "Do you think this bothers Bill?"

I think it hurts him. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Colin, we're all we're all bothered by it. You know, when you work as hard as coaches work, uh they're proud of what they accomplished, you know, and I'm Bill's proud of what he accomplished at New England. Yeah. Yeah. had a great quarterback, but how many pro Hall Hall of Fame coaches didn't have a great quarterback? I had Troy Aman, you know, no had Terry Bradshaw. Um Walsh had, you know, Joel Montana, you know, on and on. And and so you can't use that excuse.

I I do think a real big part of this, and I touched on this three hours ago, was they changed the methodology. They suddenly said coaches don't have to wait to get in. And I do think there are voters who look at that and go Vince Lombardi had to wait all those years before he was even eligible. Joe Gibbs, Bill Walsh, Don Schula, they had to wait 5 years before they were even eligible. Bill gets in immediately long before Brady. That's weird. I think some people Jimmy Johnson talked about the the voting process. Some of the media might have said, "Well, it's a slam dunk that Bill's going in." So, I'm going to vote for so and so uh to help him get in because I know Bill's going in. And so, it could have been the process of picking the Hall of Fame candidates. But that's still no excuse. You pick the best, you know, available. Hey, listen. I'm a coach, Colin, and you know, if a player doesn't go in, hey, I live with it.

Okay, then you'll get a chance next year. But I know how great a coach Bill Bellichic is. and for him not to go in first ballot is wrong.

Yeah. And uh Yeah. And that is the overwhelming sentiment today. I I do think the Hall of Fames will survive uh baseball. I mean, it was a 15-year topic on Barry Bonds for any radio host. 15 years we argued about, you know, and and and my argument was always I always argued actually I think I was the opposite of cost. My my take was we don't know any of the answers. So I'm going to let all of them in. I'm not going to punish Bonds cuz half the pitchers throwing to him were on steroids. And so unless you have all the answers, let them all in. That was I think that was my always was my take on it is everybody thought they knew and then all of a sudden the Mitchell report comes out and there's various reports.

Oh that guy too. I mean there were people that obviously, you know, their numbers wildly spiked. But my take was and batters got on the juice before the pitchers, but a pitchers eventually got on the juice too. So if my take is if you didn't have all the answers in baseball, you really didn't know everybody that was on it. Let them all in. It was roid guy against roid guy. It it was it was cream against cream, the the Balco lab against this lab on the east coast. You didn't know. Let them all in. Otherwise, you're kind of cherry-picking on, you know, the Mitchell report focused on a couple of clubouses. Well, what about the that clubhouse and that clubhouse? You you didn't The Mitchell report didn't focus on those clubouses. So, uh, you know, and and and my take is Bill's going to get in.

Lombardi got in. Gibbs got in. Walsh got in. I I think a lot of young people don't under They underestimate how great Joe Gibbs was and they underestimate how great Bill Walsh was. People copy Bill Walsh. His coaching tree is legendary. Hell, at one point it felt like half of the league's coaches came from you were using Walsh's offense or came from his coaching tree. I mean, he had so much influence. I mean, you talk to older coaches now, they talk about the late Bill Walsh in utter reverence. And so whereas Bellich doesn't have much of a coaching tree, but the guys he's close to, the handful of guys he's close to, he is really close to and Jimmy Johnson is one of those guys. So um it is crazy though the influence Brady has on Bellich's career. It really is amazing. Bellich without Brady, his teams averaged 19 points a game. With Brady, it was closer to 2930.

He won 77% of his games with Brady. Uh 44 uh 45% without. Like it it and it just goes to show you it doesn't matter if it's broadcasting or quarterback play. Uh Brady's impact, I mean, he's just it's just substantial. And as good as a coach is, that's why I always said Andy Reid's underrated. Andy Reid got to a Super Bowl with with Donovan McNab, who is considered, you know, okay, good, above average. But I mean Andy Reid won with virtually everybody. Well, he didn't win Super Bowl. Well, I mean Bellich checks winning in 45% of his. He had Drew Bledo. That's pretty good, right? He had Cam Newton at the end. I mean, so you know, this stuff out there is I think it's a fascinating topic.

Um I once had a Heisman vote. I always thought that was insanely provincial and regional. The West Coast guy would vote for this guy. the southern guy would vote for that guy. I thought it was just nonsense. J-Mack, fun show today. Would you have voted him in J-Mack?

Listen, I'm a Jets fan and I do not like anything Patriots. Of course you vote in Bell.

Come on. It's a no-brainer. It's embarrassing. Listen, I know that you said the Hall of Fame will survive. It's just a bad look for Craft, Poland, all these old guys who are, you know, want the want the spotlight to themselves. It's an ugly look for the league.

Yeah. Yeah. That was so a spygate by the way. Also true. Yeah, that was not a great look for the league. Seven years they told him, "Stop taping pure Bellich style. I'll do it on my terms."

He was never suspended.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL"?

Colin Cowherd (Host), Jac (Guest), Albert Breer (Guest), Seth Wickersham (Guest), Jimmy Johnson (Guest).

What is "Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL" about?

The content argues that Sam Darnold, the Seahawks quarterback, deserves more recognition for his impressive performance since reclaiming a starting role, highlighted by the highest winning percentage and passer rating in the league since late 2022. It emphasizes Darnold's physical attributes, coachability, and potential for success compared to other quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, suggesting that…

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

29 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Sam Darnold, Bill Belichick, Super Bowl, Pat Mahomes, NFL, Jimmy Johnson. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Why Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is BETTER than Eagles QB Jalen Hurts | Colin Cowherd: THE HERD NFL"?

The episode runs 51 min; the transcript is about 9,476 words in 123 timestamped sections.

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About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 29, 2026.