The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: 3 & Out - Massive Mailbag, Sanders on the trade block, Favorites in the AFC/NFC
Date: November 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "3 & Out" with John Middelkopf (on The Herd podcast feed) dives into a massive football mailbag covering:

• Quarterback futures (notably Shedor Sanders and the draft class)
• Coaching hypotheticals (Harbaugh vs. McDermott)
• Playoff matchups/favorites in the AFC & NFC
• The impending Raiders offseason decisions and potential Maxx Crosby trade
• NFL trade value philosophy
• Listener questions on everything from the Jets’ misery to Baker Mayfield’s ceiling and top personal sports moments.

The style is signature Middelkopf: candid, informed, a bit irreverent, never afraid to call out NFL regimes or break down the cold realities of front office moves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mailbag Kickoff & Shedor Sanders' Future (03:30–07:30)

• John celebrates having his first child, “I just had my son, Kyrie, the first in November.”
• On Shedor Sanders:
  • If Sanders plays well in place of Dylan Gabriel, he could secure the starting job for next year. John highlights the owner’s taste for headlines (“like a Midwest version of Jerry Jones, who loses a lot more than Jerry”), suggesting the team may let Sanders run with the job if he shows promise.
  • Quote [05:35]: “If Shedor plays well, assuming that he continues to start, that he would get an opportunity to be the quarterback next year. Maybe they would sign some version of Flacco, veteran type, Kenny Pickett type guy… Maybe they have an off season competition.”

2. Coaching What Ifs: McDermott vs. Harbaugh (07:30–09:00)

• Question posed: Would the Bills be better off having missed the 2023 playoffs and replaced McDermott with Jim Harbaugh?
• Middelkopf is clear that Harbaugh is a “much better coach” and would add “toughness” the team currently lacks.
• Quote [08:02]: “If you could choose, who would you want as your head coach, Jim Harbaugh or Sean McDermott? You would take Jim Harbaugh.”

3. AFC/NFC Playoff Matchups & Predicted Outcomes (09:00–10:30)

• John evaluates wildcard matchups under the scenario that Broncos and Eagles are #1 seeds.
• Highlights:
  • Niners would have the advantage over Rams at home (even with “terrible” defense).
  • “Chiefs at the Colts… that would be a shitty spot for the Colts.”
  • He likes the Bills to upset the Ravens due to Lamar Jackson’s injuries.
  • Says “Seattle at the Packers would have upset written all over it.”

4. Bo Nix: Wildcard or Winner? (10:30–13:00)

• John defends Colin Cowherd’s flip on Bo Nix, noting the unpredictability due to his inconsistent performances.
• Emphasizes the importance of elite defense in playoff runs: “When’s the last time a team with a terrible defense won a championship? …It does not happen.”
• Quote [12:30]: “I have no clue on a weekly basis though what to make of Bo Nix… If he plays well, they can win the Super Bowl. If you tell me he plays like he did on last Sunday and they have home field advantage… they are going to be a legit super bowl contender.”

5. Drafting Undersized QBs: The Dylan Gabriel Debate (13:00–15:00)

• Explains that when you draft a QB in round three, you don’t expect them to be elite: “If you think a guy's gonna be a top five quarterback, you draft him in the first round.”
• Questions Browns’ logic with Gabriel; thinks many GMs pegged him as “undrafted free agent” value.
• Suggests owner meddling: Browns drafted Gabriel high to avoid pressure to take Shedor Sanders early but wound up taking him anyway.
• Quote [14:20]: “The value you’re placing on that guy… it’d be like, I'm making an offer for the house and I offer $500,000, and then the guy that got the house paid a million dollars. It's like, we value that house… you were both in different worlds.”

6. Raiders Offseason: Tear Down & Maxx Crosby on the Block? (15:00–17:30)

• John says he’d fire most of the current staff except for GM (Spytek), consider hiring a young or even a college coach (mentions Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian).
• Maxx Crosby likely to be shopped: “The number one thing I think—Crosby’s on the block. It’s pretty clear who’d be after him, right? The Lions, the Eagles, Cowboys would sniff around.”
• Suggests not to cut Geno Smith for cap reasons, but Raiders might fully reset.

7. Trade Value: Renting Players vs. Draft Picks (17:30–20:28)

• On why teams don’t give up high picks for running backs like Breece Hall:
  • “Financially, I’m not going to pay Breece Hall 12, 13 million a year, so I’m renting him for the rest of the year…”
  • Highlights the cap value of third-round picks.
  • Running back talent is easy to find late or cheap.
• Quote [19:15]: “When you use the Breece Hall example, it's like, he's a rent-a-player and most of the teams… the cap is pretty important to them. That third round pick, you look around the league, a lot of third-round picks start.”

8. Chargers Inconsistency & Franchise Limbo Teams (24:55–28:00)

• On Chargers: Focuses on their O-line struggles as the cause of their extreme week-to-week results.
• On Bucs: Loves Baker, is “a little stunned” at the idea of Super Bowl upside with Todd Bowles, but acknowledges the "weird predicament" of liking the coach but questioning the ceiling.
• Quote [26:55]: “It's not like your coach is bad where you're going to fire him. You kind of feel stuck with them… it's not like your coach is bad where you're going to fire him. You're probably going to win 10 games. Your GM's pretty good.”
• On Jets: Affirms fan frustration is justified. “There is something special if you ever get out of the mud, but there does come to a point where it's like, this, this is not fun to watch.”

9. Bo Nix is NOT Josh Allen (28:00–30:30)

• “Let’s just pump the brakes… he’s got a long way to go to become Josh Allen.”
• Gives love to Denver’s recent victory: “You outplayed Patrick Mahomes in the biggest Denver Bronco game in a decade. That was a badass environment.”

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Coaching Philosophy:
  “Sean McDermott is like a defensive tough guy… yet their defense… there’s a softness to the organization.” [08:45]
• On the Reality of Team Building:
  “It's why the Rams, or excuse me, the Browns, it's a clown show. And I do think they get a pretty big pass.” [15:00]
• On Trading Maxx Crosby:
  “To me, it's probably time for Crosby to go… the Lions, the Eagles. I would imagine the Cowboys would sniff around.” [16:55]
• On Living through Sports History:
  • Describes being live at Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals (“a pretty surreal moment… looking at the Cav sideline and the eruption, I was like, this is pretty historic.” [32:10])
  • Recounts Navarro Bowman's pick-six at Candlestick (“the loudest stadium I've ever seen… It was like an earthquake.” [33:30])
  • Praises Tiger Woods’ 2019 Masters as his favorite personal sports moment (“his walk up the hill with Charlie… that was it. Just as a huge fan, it was cool.” [35:45])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:30] – Opening; Mailbag, birth announcement, Shedor Sanders QB discussion
• [07:30] – Bills’ coaching alternate reality (Harbaugh vs. McDermott)
• [09:00] – Playoff wild card matchups analysis (AFC/NFC)
• [10:30] – Bo Nix, defense, and playoff wildcards
• [13:00] – Dylan Gabriel’s third-round selection dissected
• [15:00] – Raiders future; Maxx Crosby trade rumors
• [17:30] – The economics of trade value in the NFL
• [24:55] – Chargers inconsistency; stuck franchises (Bucs, Jets)
• [28:00] – Bo Nix/Allen comps and favorite golf courses near Philly
• [31:00] – John’s top live sports moments: NBA Finals Game 7 2016, last MNF at Candlestick, Tiger Woods 2019 Masters

Conclusion

This episode delivers on football nerdery, speculative fun, and the reality checks only a former scout like John Middelkopf can provide. From QB controversies to front-office value debates, it’s a must-listen (or must-read) for fans who love the “why” as much as the “what.” The show ends on a personal note with John’s top sports memories—reminding listeners that while Sundays might drive us crazy, sports are all about those electric moments we talk about for decades.