Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: 3 & Out - Bills presser was WILD, Baker gets MAD, 49ers Practice Facility

Date: January 22, 2026
Host: John Middlekauff (with guest analyst)
Podcast Feed: The Herd with Colin Cowherd / 3 & Out

Overview

This episode dives into a wild week of NFL news focusing on a chaotic Buffalo Bills press conference, Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski's public feud, updates from the 49ers, and broader coaching/development storylines across the league. John Middlekauff brings strong opinions and a casual, irreverent tone, mixing rapid-fire analysis with listener mailbag questions on NFL and a bit beyond.

1. Buffalo Bills Press Conference - “Fireworks in Buffalo”

Timestamp: 01:43–11:28

• Main Event:
  The Bills’ ownership and management press conference drew headlines for its awkwardness, with owner Terry Pegula’s poor public speaking and confusion about the franchise’s direction front and center.
• Middlekauff on Terry Pegula:
  • “I don’t know if he’s the sharpest tool in the shed. Some of you would be like, ‘John, he’s a billionaire, how would you say he’s not smart?’” (03:30)
  • “When you watch them and listen, not everyone’s a great public speaker… But I’ve seen enough owners talk. Most guys can handle themselves. He could not.” (04:43)
  • “No team in pro sports beside the Jets has a longer playoff drought than the Buffalo Sabers. He owns that franchise too.” (04:44)
• Ownership in the Spotlight:
  Middlekauff compares Pegula’s handling to more stable, competent ownership (referring to the Ravens and Steve Bisciotti, 05:04–05:35).
• Bills' Decision-Making Process:
  • Pegula’s lack of football acumen and overreliance on staff captured:
    “They are very dependent on the people they hire. If they get the people right, their team kicks ass.” (07:15)
  • Comments on GM Brandon Beane’s controversial “Keon Coleman” comment and later attempts to clarify (05:54–06:58).
• Coaching Candidates:
  “My guess would be sitting here that Brian Daboll is the next coach, assuming Josh and him have a good relationship. To my knowledge, they do.” (12:30)
• Notable Moment:
  “If I was the Bills, someone needs to yank the mic away from Pegula.” (08:55)

2. Rapid-Fire NFL Coaching Updates

Timestamp: 13:02–21:53

• Steelers' Head Coach Search:
  • Interviewed Mike McCarthy; Middlekauff questions the team’s broader strategy:
    • “The Steelers have had three coaches in like 75 years. Cool. Great. It’s 2025... their roster on paper looks terrible.” (13:14)
    • “If McCarthy got the job, it’d be one of the truly great resumes… Packers, Cowboys, and Steelers.” (15:03)
• Matt Nagy & the Chiefs:
  Middlekauff unpacks Matt Nagy's contract gamble, his failed leverage for a raise or promotion, and possible shift to the Eagles (17:07–18:14).
• Coaching Trees & Dynamics:
  Discussion of coaches returning (Eric Bieniemy to KC) and strategic staff shuffles.

3. Surprising Coaching Partnerships: Harbaugh/McDaniel

Timestamp: 19:12–21:36

• Odd Fit That Might Succeed:
  • “Love’s a powerful thing. I would say that about Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh. If you just saw the two of them, they couldn’t look any more polar opposite.” (19:36)
  • “Honestly, it kind of makes some sense. When it comes to football, they have similar philosophies—blocking, run game, etc.” (20:07)
  • Possible resurgence for McDaniel if things go well with Harbaugh.

4. Baker Mayfield vs. Kevin Stefanski – Quarterback-Coach Drama

Timestamp: 25:12–28:54

• The Feud:
  Baker Mayfield fired back at Kevin Stefanski, who criticized Mayfield as a failed quarterback in Cleveland.
  • “Failed is quite the reach, pal. Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.” —Baker Mayfield quote tweet (26:02)
• Locker Room Leadership:
  Middlekauff questions Stefanski’s player relationships:
  • “Do people like Kevin Stefanski? ...I haven’t seen a peep being said by anybody [in Cleveland].” (27:07)
  • Contrasts with McDermott in Buffalo and the strong public player support after his firing.

5. 49ers End-of-Season Presser & Facility Issues

Timestamp: 28:55–34:47

• Practice Facility Health Concerns:
  On the topic of substation health and field conditions:
  • “It’s not going away… Number one priority: keep your guys healthy.” (29:52)
• Brandon Aiyuk Situation:
  • “Brandon Aiyuk will never play for the 49ers again… his situation with the 49ers just became a disaster and then pretty sad.” (30:47)
  • “There’s no way around. It’s pretty embarrassing for the Niners… They have a regret of not pulling the trigger last year.” (31:41)
• Mac Jones Trade Talk:
  • “Kyle Shanahan said today, like I’d be stunned if [Mac Jones is] not on the team… His value to us is stronger than some late third-round, fourth-round pick.” (32:32)
• DC Succession Planning:
  Gus Bradley steps in as expected for Robert Saleh, illustrating the importance of grooming replacements internally.

6. Listener Mailbag – Coaching Philosophy, Roster Moves & Football Culture

Timestamp: 35:08–68:22

• CEO Coaches vs Playcalling Head Coaches:
  • “Sirianni is totally dependent on his offensive coordinator every year. Whereas guys like Andy [Reid] and Kyle [Shanahan] don’t lose their OC because they are the OC.” (35:37)
  • Leadership, handling adversity, and the rare dual-leader/playcaller skill set.
• Roster Decisions (Bears’ WR Dilemma):
  • “I think you make them both [DJ Moore & Rome Odunze] available and just kind of see what the market is.” (40:09)
• Justin Herbert & Playoff Performances:
  • “Let’s agree to only call Herbert the Chargers’ starting quarterback until he wins a playoff game. He’s like the James Harden of quarterbacks—regular season hero, playoff zero.” (43:29)
  • “There’s no disputing Purdy—if you’re just talking clutch, you have more faith in Brock Purdy than you do Justin Herbert.” (44:14)
• NFL’s 17th Game Format:
  • Listener proposes annual set interconference rival games; Middlekauff notes logistical complications, including potential for duplicated matchups and limited suitable pairs.
• Can College Powerhouses Beat NFL Teams?
  • “Would any [2025-level Indiana, 2019 LSU] have a chance to win a game against an awful NFL team?”
  • “At the end of the year, if an NFL team’s rolling out backups, I’d give you a shot… but not week one.” (65:13)

7. Broadcasting & Industry Musings

Timestamp: 52:42–56:58

• Al Michaels Returning to Amazon/Thursday Night Football:
  • “At this point in time, does Al Michaels need the money? …The wiring of play-by-play people, they will never give up the microphone.” (55:17)
  • Suggests the product could use a shakeup, pointing out broadcasters seldom yield their spots, sometimes to the product’s detriment.

8. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Terry Pegula’s Press Conference:
  “Holy shit… someone take the mic away from him.” (09:00)
• Baker Mayfield’s fiery tweet:
  “Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.” (26:02)
• On coaching hires:
  “The reality with CEO head coaches: if you hire the wrong coach to call your plays, you’re just screwed.” (37:33)
• On football family and fandom:
  “Why did I grow up liking the San Francisco Giants, the 49ers, the Sacramento Kings? Because I grew up in Davis, California. What most human beings are product of where they live.” (61:18)

9. Tone & Style

Middlekauff is direct, unscripted, and comfortable riffing, showing both deep knowledge and a willingness to challenge both conventional thinking and NFL power structures (“most of these owners have no clue what they’re doing… let’s just be real”).
He mixes irreverence (“It’s on like Donkey Kong”), humor, and real football insight throughout, with abundant asides, mailbag banter, and relatable analogies (“it’s not like we’re on an Excel spreadsheet—these are human beings”).

Key Timestamps Overview

• 01:43–11:28: Buffalo Bills Presser/Ownership Breakdown
• 13:02–21:53: Coaching Carousel Updates & NFL Rapid Fire
• 21:53–25:12: Harbaugh/McDaniel Fit Discussion
• 25:12–28:54: Baker vs. Stefanski, Locker Room Chemistry
• 28:55–34:47: 49ers Facility, Aiyuk, Mac Jones, DC transitions
• 35:08–68:22: Mailbag (coaching, fan culture, NFL–NCAA, play-by-play)

For New Listeners

If you enjoy a mix of unfiltered NFL commentary, unique analogies, and in-depth mailbag, this episode serves as a classic example of John Middlekauff’s style—opinion-heavy, humorous, but rooted in lived sports experience and industry knowledge.