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Hour 2 – NFL Award Nominees, Booger McFarland

The Dan Patrick Show

Thu Jan 22 2026

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2 Summary

Episode Title: Hour 2 – NFL Award Nominees, Booger McFarland
Date: January 22, 2026
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show (iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network)

Overview

This episode dives into the fallout from the Buffalo Bills' firing of head coach Sean McDermott, ongoing NFL coaching vacancies, and the just-announced NFL Awards nominees. Dan and his crew dissect owner press conferences, the implications for coaching searches, and the emotional state of Josh Allen. ESPN analyst Booger McFarland joins for a wide-ranging interview on NFL coaching drama, team culture, award picks, and the state of college football amid NIL upheaval. The show balances insight and humor, echoing Dan's trademark conversational style.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Buffalo Bills, Owner Optics, and Sean McDermott’s Firing

(02:09 – 11:13)

Dan opens with the heavy scrutiny in Buffalo after the dismissal of Sean McDermott and the rare press conference access to Bills owner Terry Pegula.
Discussion centers around whether owners should take the podium post-major franchise decisions:

“Should owners speak at sports press conferences? ...I want an owner to speak, I think he should speak to a fan base.”
— Dan Patrick (03:20)
The show explores fan and media interpretations that Josh Allen's emotional press conference may indicate he felt responsible for McDermott’s firing.
Callers suggest possible head coaching replacements and debate if the Bills seek “a splashy hire” or simply the “right fit.”

Notable Quote:

“Maybe he was overcome with emotion because he knew if he plays like Josh Allen, they win that game and he didn’t.”
— Dan Patrick (07:35)

2. NFL Award Nominees and Predictions

(11:13 – 17:02)

The team lists and evaluates the NFL Honors nominations, touching on MVP, Offensive/Defensive Player and Rookie, Comeback Player, and Coach/Assistant of the Year.
Surprises include Drake May among MVP candidates in only his second season, and a lively debate develops over likely winners and the “snubs” or curious nominations.
Dan and the crew riff on the possibility of lesser-recognized contributions being honored—with tongue-in-cheek suggestions like:

“How about an award for a guy who comes from nowhere to help his team, but not MVP worthy...like a bench guy who helps?” — Paulie (16:22)

Key Picks:

Miles Garrett – Defensive Player of the Year favorite
Ted McMillan (Panthers) – Offensive Rookie of the Year pick (16:22)
Trevor Lawrence – Comeback Player of the Year front-runner (15:02)
Liam Cohen (Jacksonville) – Dan’s choice for Coach of the Year (14:52)

3. NFL Coaching Vacancies and Leadership Styles: Booger McFarland Interview

(23:47 – 41:19)

Booger’s Takes On:

Sean McDermott’s Firing: Rooted in the failure to “get over the hump” with Josh Allen’s prime years, despite owner Pegula’s finger-pointing at the press conference.

“I think at the core, the reason he fired him was because he couldn’t get them over the hump.”
— Booger McFarland (25:00)
Best Head Coaching Vacancy:

“I would have said Buffalo. I think it’s Baltimore. I love Steve Bisciotti...you got Lamar Jackson...that culture, going to work at that place every day would be the best.”
— Booger McFarland (26:06)
Why Buffalo is a Tricky Job: Ownership/leadership’s lack of accountability, but the allure of coaching Josh Allen remains potent.
Pressure in Denver: Not just on backup QB Jarrett Stidham, but more so on coach Sean Payton to prove he can win with a backup, referencing his success with Teddy Bridgewater in New Orleans.

“Pressure is on Sean Payton...Can you coach a game that allows this quarterback to show the talent you told us he has?”
— Booger McFarland (28:11)
Recognizing When a Moment’s Too Big:

“When you do things that are uncharacteristic or your athleticism doesn’t come out...that’s when you know the moment is too big.”
— Booger McFarland (29:18)
MVP and Coach of the Year Picks:
- Drake May for MVP — “He’s done more with less” (30:09)
- Mike Vrabel for Coach — “Level of achievement relative to expectations” (30:59)
NFL Culture and Leadership: Explains "culture" as players' ability to make good decisions, especially when no one is watching, and the importance of “player-led teams.”

“If the coach has to tell you everything to do, then the coach probably hadn’t done a good enough job itself.”
— Booger McFarland (32:56)

4. SEC vs. Big Ten and College Football Landscape

(33:00 – 37:25)

Booger addresses SEC’s shifting dominance amid shakeups from NIL and the transfer portal, and rising Big Ten power.

“Right now, the Big Ten is the preeminent college conference...but make no mistake, the best conference in America is still the SEC. And if you don’t believe me, just ask Greg Sankey.”
— Booger McFarland (35:37)
Discussion on the difference between “tech money” and “oil money” in fueling NIL collectives, and how Southern schools with deep pockets remain competitive.

5. Keon Coleman and the Fallout from Public Owner Criticism

(37:35 – 39:02)

Booger questions how a player like Keon Coleman can return to work after owners and GMs publicly disavow him.

“If you’re Keon Coleman and you just heard the owner and the GM basically said that we don’t want you, how do you show back up to work?”
— Booger McFarland (37:35)
Dan’s advice: lay low and quietly request a trade, noting the challenge to any young player’s confidence.

6. Chris Berman's Legacy at ESPN

(39:28 – 47:07)

Dan and Booger praise Chris Berman as the “greatest highlight reader ever,” crediting him for creating the ESPN working environment that launched many careers.

“He is NFL Primetime. There’s nobody else that should be doing that.”
— Dan Patrick (40:08)
Anecdotes about Dan’s own early days at ESPN with Berman and the station’s evolution from “wild” to a more journalistic bent.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 03:20 | “I want an owner to speak... This is a state of the union. I don’t think that’s asking much.” | Dan Patrick | | 07:35 | “Josh Allen didn’t meet with the media... I get the feeling that he knew Sean McDermott was going to be fired.” | Dan Patrick | | 16:22 | “How about an award for a guy who comes from nowhere to help his team, but not MVP worthy?” | Paulie | | 25:00 | “The reason he fired him was because he couldn’t get them over the hump.” | Booger McFarland | | 28:11 | “Pressure is on Sean Payton.” | Booger McFarland | | 29:18 | “That’s when you know the moment is too big.” | Booger McFarland | | 35:37 | “Best conference in America is still the SEC. If you don’t believe me, just ask Greg Sankey.” | Booger McFarland | | 40:08 | “He is NFL Primetime. There’s nobody else that should be doing that.” | Dan Patrick |

Timestamps for Key Segments

Buffalo Owner/Sean McDermott Fallout: 02:09 – 11:13
NFL Award Nominee Analysis: 11:13 – 17:02
Booger McFarland Interview Start: 23:47
MVP/Coach of Year Debate: 30:09 – 30:59
SEC/Big Ten & NIL: 33:00 – 37:25
Keon Coleman Discussion: 37:25 – 39:02
Chris Berman/ESPN History: 39:28 – 47:07

Conclusion & Takeaways

This hour offers an engaging snapshot of the NFL off-season’s intrigue—mixing analysis, humor, storytelling, and industry insight. Dan and crew chart the ripple effects of coaching turnover, quarterback pressure, and evolving league culture while Booger McFarland’s frank, folksy perspective adds heart and candor to the discussion. The episode is rich in both NFL history and fresh narratives, especially for fans interested in league politics, player development, and the under-the-hood workings of professional sports.

Recommended for:

NFL fans tracking head coaching moves and awards season
Listeners interested in sports media history and leadership personalities
Anyone following the changing landscape of college football (NIL, realignment)

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Transcript

Dan Patrick (0:00)

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Dan Patrick (2:09)

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Paulie (2:14)

Dan Patrick show on FOX Sports Radio Hour 2 on this Thursday. Gangs here, including Fritzi Fritzi taking all questions. All right, apparently the audience wants to hear from you. Seaton's here, Marvin, Paula, yours truly and the back room guys as well. The big German and his brother, the most valuable backroom guy, Jay. They are headed to San Francisco for the big game. If you'd like to join us there. We'll be at the China Basin park, which is, well, the backdrop is the ballpark. It's a great location and if you want to join us, we'd love to have you. We'll be there Monday through Friday with a Super bowl week. First come, first serve as far as seats go. Stat of the day brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the Dan Patrick Show. Backstabbing and betrayal are the name of the game on an all new season of the Dan Note. The traders head back to the Scottish Highlands for a murder mystery competition like no other. The traitors streaming now only on Peacock. Wasn't Michael Rapaport on that? And everybody couldn't wait to get rid of him. Michael Rapaport, the actor being Michael Rapaport. And of course he's annoying and but I thought he was being recruited to be annoying on that show, the Traitors in the Scottish Highlands, that's on Peacock, which is where you can find this program. Thank you for joining us, our streaming partner. And we say good morning to our radio affiliates around the country. Spent a lot of time, maybe too much time on the Buffalo Bills situation, but anytime I get an owner at a press conference, that's shoot shooting fish in a barrel for the most part when you get them and you could ask them questions because normally you don't get access to talk to an owner. And the Buffalo media got a gift yesterday. They got to ask about the situation with Sean McDermott and moving forward in Buffalo. New stadium coming up. But the fact that, or apparently the fact that Josh Allen was so emotional, maybe more emotional than in previous years, maybe led to the final decision that Terry Pula was going to fire Sean McDermott. All right, 877 3DP. Shell operator Tyler is sitting by seat and pole question from hour one. And then what are we going with in hour two? Okay, well, I'll update you on our one's poll question, then I'll give you our two's poll question after that. All right. Should owners speak at sports press conferences? Your options? There are no. Hell no. Absolutely not. And sure sure has 47 to that vote. But unfortunately, if you add up all of the other versions of no, it still comes out to the answer is no. And then which team would you rather coach right now, the Buffalo Bills or the Baltimore Ravens? Buffalo bills have 66% of that vote. Okay. I want an owner to speak, I think he should speak it to a fan base. I think that your fans, your city, they're building that stadium, helping you build that stadium. This is a state of the union. That's. I don't think that's asking much for an owner to get in front of the media and just say, we have a finite amount of time. It's going to be an hour. And, you know, do it as a town hall or let fans ask you. How about that? That's even better. Yeah. See, which would you prefer? An owner that doesn't speak much or a Jerry Jones type that is. Has his fingers in everything that happens? Owner who doesn't speak. There's a. There's a point where it can be too much. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes. Yes. Jerry just puts too much pressure on the coach. And, you know, when he speaks and it's about him. You know, this is how he got into this position, because he wanted it to be about him instead of sharing the spotlight with Jimmy Johnson. No, this is about me. And that led to their divorce and the acrimony that lasted decades between these two. I don't want to walk into that. I mean, you get to coach the Cowboys, but you're not really coaching the Cowboys because Jerry's going to get all the credit. You're going to get the blame. All right, few more phone calls in here. Chris in Syracuse. Hi, Chris. What do you have for me? Hey, thanks, Dan. Hey. Off your first hour interview and. Yeah, you just mentioned it, Dan. I wonder, a lot of the Buffalo.

Paulie (11:13)

The NFL honors finalist was announced. So MVP and other awards for the 2025 season. These are the players who were nominated for most valuable. This will be the NFL Honors ceremony Feb. 5, and voters were asked to rank their top five picks for all of these categories. Top five for MVP, top three for other awards. Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake May, Christian McCaffrey, and Matthew Stafford for MVP. If I told you in August this would be the list, I think you would go Trevor Lawrence. I had McCaffrey as the offensive player of the year when the season started. Matthew Stafford. The reason why I didn't pick the Rams, because I didn't know if Matthew Stafford could stay healthy. If you would have said, hey, he's going to play all year and throw 40 touchdowns, I would have picked the Rams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. It's that good a roster. Drake May. We would have been surprised. We'd be like, man, that's a pretty big jump for a second year quarterback with, you know, a new head coach there. Defensive player of the year. Will Anderson Jr. III of the Texans, Nick Bonito of the Broncos, Miles Garrett, The Browns, Aiden Hutchinson, Micah Parsons. Well, Micah, we would have said, of course, but if I said, well, he's going to be on Green Bay, then you would have been like, oh, okay. Will Anderson, great player. It's Miles Garrett. Miles Garrett will win this. It's not even close to offensive player of the year. Drake May, Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nakua, Bijon Robinson and Jackson Smith. New Jigba. I'm going to say Pukinaku is going to be your winner there. And I don't think anybody would have been surprised if I said that at the beginning of the year. Offensive rookie of the year. Jackson Dart, Ameka Buka, Travion Henderson. Boy, he's an underrated player. The Patriots, Ted McMillan of the Panthers and Tyler Shuck of the Saint. All right, yeah. Who is going to win offensive rookie of the year? Tyler Shuck did a really good job of the saints. McMillan is a big time receiver. Henderson underrated. Buka started out really hot, but then so did Tampa and then Jackson Dart. Wow, man. I'm gonna, I'm gonna give it to Ted McMillan with the Panthers. They made the playoffs and he was a go to guy. He was a big time in that game in the playoffs. Defensive rookie of the year. I thought they already announced it. This is the Associated Press. Carson Swishinger of the Browns is going to win this. Comeback player of the year. Stefan Diggs, Aiden Hutchinson, Trevor Lawrence, Christian McCaffrey and Dak Prescott. I mean, Hutchinson came back, but I don't know what kind of numbers he had. Detroit didn't make the playoffs. I'm gonna say Trevor Lawrence. I'll say Trevor Lawrence, Coach of the year. Boy, this is competitive. Liam Cohen, Jacksonville. Ben Johnson, Bears. Mike McDonald, Seattle. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco. Mike Vrabel, Patriots. I think this was the best coaching job Kyle Shanahan did, and I don't know when the voting is done. I'm going to guess at the end of the regular season, I'm going to give it to Liam Cohen. I'd have no problem. It. Well, they're all worthy. Mike McDonald did a wonderful job. It'll probably emphasize. Re. Emphasize. What I've said is nobody really looks at Seattle and gives them credit that they deserve, and maybe that'll, you know, bear out in the voting here that Ben or Mike McDonald will not get it. Bear on the voting.

Paulie (47:07)

Yeah, because he was so much louder than you realize when you're in the studio. It. It kind of echoed and it projected. And I even said on the air, I said, man, you're loud. Yes. Todd, I love when you tell the story about how you were following him around in his nickname he had for you for that newspaper in North Carolina, the Charlotte observer, because I was told. So I came over from cnn, and the person who hired me, John Walsh, said, hey, just observe for three months. Three months. And I would just go in there, and I would be there in the evening, and I'd be around, whether it was Chris or Tommy, Tim Brando, there were Kerry Ross, like, there were. There were people who were in there, and all I did is just watch. I only needed to watch probably for, you know, two or three days. But Chris would always come in and he'd see me, and he goes, it's the Charlotte Observer. And. And I just remember they were gambling on sporting events like it was. It was pretty wild in there. It was fun. And then the new boss who headed up SportsCenter, John Walsh, he cleaned that up. We're like, we're not. We're not going to be doing that. We'll still have fun. Ish. But we're going to be journalists. We're going to be breaking stories. And I was kind of seen as, okay, here comes golden boy. And I wanted to have as much fun as they were having. It was. I came from CNN, and our show was better than SportsCenter Sports Tonight with Nick Charles and Fred Hickman. It was better than what ESPN had, and John Walsh, the head of Sports center, knew that, and he wanted to incorporate more of that. He wanted reporting, breaking stories, good writing. He could still have fun. He didn't want us to have as much fun as Chris Berman was having. Because the line from management, ownership was, we don't want to have another Berman. And I'm thinking, oh, my God, you can't have enough talk about not getting it. Oh, they, they did not get it. It was all, it was so short sighted, myopic that they didn't realize there aren't many people in this business who have that kind of talent. And they, you know, we don't want another Chris Berman. I'm thinking, oh, my goodness. Yeah. Seaton. There was a real movement for a long time in radio, especially music radio, though, and I guess it would carry over to TV as well. That the personalities didn't matter. What mattered was the station. Yeah. And that the, the music is what was actually important. The personalities were interchangeable. Nobody cares about that. And I'm going to say that history has shown that not to be true. No. Because you can get the music anywhere. But can you get the personality to accompany the music? What makes you tune in every day and loyal to that station? It's not, you know, well, this is one of the five stations I listen to playing the exact same music. It's the personality that gets you coming back. All right, two hours in the books on this Thursday, the Washington Post has a reporter doing a story on the San Francisco 49ers and their injuries. Why? We'll tell you in 10 minutes. Also, we relive Kobe's 81 point performance. That'll be in about a half hour from now. Final hour, right after this.