The Herd with Colin Cowherd – 3 & Out (Jan 27, 2026) Main Theme:
This episode, hosted by John Middlekauff, dives deep into three main storylines: the unlikely ascension of Sam Darnold to the Super Bowl, the Patriots' resurgence under Mike Vrabel, and a wide-ranging mailbag covering NFL hot topics and some personal “Dad Diaries.” The tone is candid, reflective, and often tongue-in-cheek, mirroring Middlekauff's no-nonsense, conversational style.

Sam Darnold’s Cinderella Story (03:00–21:00)

• Darnold’s Unlikely Journey
  • Middlekauff opens with how the NFL world tends to polarize quarterbacks, yet Sam Darnold stands out as a rare, “pure” comeback story.
  • Darnold—a high pick, failed Jets QB, dumped by Carolina, then backup in San Francisco—now finds himself starting in the Super Bowl for Seattle, defying the typical backup narrative.
• Comparison to Other QBs
  • Most successful QBs (e.g., Mahomes, Allen, Hurts) rise quickly; Darnold had to “eat it and be a backup.”
  • “It’s very, very rare...that we just see a guy gets drafted high, bounces around, becomes a backup for no money, a couple years later, he is a key cog in a team that’s going to the Super Bowl.” (10:38)
• Darnold’s Performance and Character
  • Lauded for his play in the NFC Championship (340 yards, 3 TDs vs. Rams): “No one can say shit.” (12:03)
  • “Tell me the last time you heard anything negatively said about Sam Darnold. I can’t remember.” (12:28)
  • High character, genuine friendship with Josh Allen—remains humble despite vastly different QB trajectories.
• Middlekauff’s Personal Anecdote
  • Ran into Darnold at Super Bowl last year: “What a fucking awesome comeback story. He’s like, ‘I really appreciate that, man.’” (13:38)

Mike Vrabel: The Patriots’ Home Run (18:53–29:10)

• Vrabel’s Coaching Arc
  • Success in Tennessee despite challenges: “He didn’t do that with Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. He did that with Ryan Tannehill, who is like a poor man’s Alex Smith.” (21:00)
  • Titans' ownership criticized for firing Vrabel due to personal dislike, despite his results.
• Coaching Realities
  • Describes NFL coaching as a “football marathon” with relentless pressure.
  • “Hiring a coach and hiring a GM is like picking players—an inexact science. No one has any clue who’s going to be good and who’s going to be bad.” (18:53)
• Patriots Hit the Jackpot
  • Vrabel’s one-year sabbatical allowed New England to scoop him up: “…and then by the following January, you’re in the freaking Super Bowl.” (25:10)
  • Patriots fans should be “very, very grateful that this whole situation played out the way it did.” (24:46)

The Eagles OC Job: Boom or Bust (29:10–33:15)

• High Pressure, High Reward
  • “I don’t ever remember a job that was just so boom or bust.” (29:22)
  • OC job in Philly viewed as risky: “If it goes well, obviously it jolts me. If it doesn’t, can it derail the momentum that I might have?” (31:40)
  • Noted turnover: “You can either excel in this job, you become a head coach…or you don’t have success in this job and you immediately get fired.” (29:38)
• Coaching Pipeline Insight
  • Once in the coordinator “cycle,” you keep getting jobs, but the Eagles OC gig doesn’t carry that safety net.

Quick “Dad Diaries” (33:15–36:50)

• Humorous Parenting Anecdote
  • Talks about reading black-and-white picture books to his newborn, learning that babies only see high-contrast colors at that age: “I was just reading these little books...not knowing he can’t even see the color!” (35:32)
  • Parenthood lesson: “You learn something every day.” (36:27)

Mailbag & Listener Questions (36:50–66:59)

Switching NFL Teams (37:00+)

• Listener debating leaving the Steelers for another franchise; Middlekauff is pragmatic:
  • “If it’s strong enough, the bond… it’ll never truly leave you. But if it’s not, then just, I don’t know… date other people.” (38:50)

Coaching “Bridges” (42:32)

• Bridge coaches less common than bridge QBs, but sometimes necessary if the job is unattractive enough. Texans and Browns used this strategy.

NFC South Outlook & Saints (43:08)

• “That division…should be way more competitive in 2026…you’ve got to win 10 games to win the division.” (44:55)

Eagles’ Culture & A.J. Brown (45:45)

• “I don’t know if their culture is broken…I think a mistake they made is the AJ Brown saga.” (46:06)
• Hints the real fix was trading the WR and letting Jalen Hurts take leadership.

Creative Trade Proposals (49:15)

• Swapping DJ Moore for Kayvon Thibodeaux: “That’s a tight move. If you’re Chicago, you are highly entertaining right. And if you’re the Giants, you got some offensive pieces.” (50:22)

Dealing with Social Media (52:12)

• “I unfollow people all the time…go live life.” (53:05)

Vikings’ Regret Over Darnold (55:00)

• “It’s gotta hurt. You signed him, he started, threw 35 touchdowns, and you were 60 minutes away from being the No. 1 seed…”

Should NFL Playoffs Be in Domes? (57:15)

• Middlekauff sides with tradition: “This is an outdoor sport and weather plays a huge factor in the history of playoff games.” (58:23)

2025 Super Bowl: The Most Unlikely Matchup? (59:45)

• Both Seattle and New England defied all preseason odds. “In August, if this would have been your pick, most people would have thought you were a little crazy for sure.” (63:11)

Special Teams Neglect (64:26)

• Rams, Packers, 49ers are “the worst special teams units in the league” because their offensive-minded coaches don’t “even pretend to care.” (65:27)

Can Darnold Join the Top QB Tier? (66:00)

• “He would have a lot of momentum going into next season… he’s immediately in that crew… Jalen, Purdy.” Confidence could propel him as a late-bloomer.

QB Class of 2018: Darnold Bests Lamar, Josh Allen (66:25)

• “Can you believe Sam Darnold is the only quarterback from the ‘18 draft class to make the Super Bowl? Pretty nuts.” (66:45)

Perception & Branding: Mike McCarthy Debate (end)

• McCarthy’s record mirrors Harbaugh/Tomlin, but he’s branded as average: “If he wasn’t coaching football, what would he be doing? Like running an HVAC company? That’s the way people talk about him.” (end)
• “Branding, perception… really matter. And the Steelers clearly don’t care that much about that…” (end)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Sam Darnold:
  “And there’s something just, I don’t know, pure about the Sam Darnold situation.” (14:03)
• On Mike Vrabel:
  “Props to Mike Vrabel. What a badass.” (27:56)
• On Parenting:
  “Most of you can relate—anyone with young children…and even when you sleep, your sleep is not like it was pre-children.” (33:28)
• On Steelers Fan Loyalty:
  “Start loosely dating… see how it goes… you should be allowed to date other people if you are just there by family connection.” (39:45)
• On Special Teams Neglect:
  “Three offensive coaches that call plays—they can’t even pretend to give a shit (about special teams).” (65:27)
• On NFL Playoffs and Weather:
  “I like weather games. I mean, even when San Francisco used to play at Levi’s or at Candlestick, they had historic rain games… To me that’s just part of the sport.” (59:07)
• On Mike McCarthy’s Image:
  “His branding is bad... If he got on GLP-1s and lost 50 pounds, I do wonder if we talk about him differently, fair or not, because he gets branded, unlike Tomlin and Harbaugh, yet they're all three, like, essentially the same guy.” (final segment)

Timestamps (Select Highlights)

• 03:00: Sam Darnold’s unusual journey to Super Bowl QB
• 10:38: Rarity of high-pick QBs bouncing back as late bloomers
• 12:03: Darnold’s character and uncontroversial reputation
• 18:53: Coaching hires & Mike Vrabel discussion begins
• 24:46: Patriots benefit from Vrabel’s unplanned sabbatical
• 29:22: Eagles’ OC: boom or bust job description
• 33:15: Humorous “Dad Diaries” anecdote
• 38:50: Listener wants to “quit” Steelers fandom
• 46:06: Should the Eagles just move on from AJ Brown?
• 52:12: Social media overload and pruning your feed
• 55:00: Vikings’ regret in letting Darnold leave
• 58:23: Weather vs. Dome playoff debates
• 63:11: The most unlikely Super Bowl matchup
• 66:00: Darnold’s place in the QB hierarchy after a ring?
• End: Mike McCarthy, branding, and coaching perception

Summary Conclusion:
This episode delivers sharp NFL insights through stories of redemption (Darnold), managerial competence (Vrabel), and organizational dysfunction (Eagles OC, Steelers coaching). Middlekauff’s playful, honest delivery keeps the episode both substantive and entertaining—mixing hard-nosed football talk with relatable real-life asides and an always-active mailbag.