Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: 3 & Out – Tua’s Respect Problem, Coaching Hot Seats, and Rodgers’ Field Frustration
Host: John Middlekauff
Date: October 16, 2025

Main Theme

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd (hosted here by John Middlekauff on the "3 & Out" podcast) tackles three major topics: the controversy and lack of respect surrounding Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, the reality of NFL coaching hot seats and the less-than-inspiring candidate pool, and Aaron Rodgers’ harsh criticism of NFL field conditions. Through direct analysis and personal insights, Middlekauff explores how leadership, perception, and business realities shape today’s NFL.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tua Tagovailoa’s Respect & Leadership Dilemma

[03:00 – 15:00]

• Tua’s Ceiling & Perceptions:
  Middlekauff sets out to defend Tua following criticism over his comments about a players-only meeting. He’s candid about Tua’s limitations—“No one's ever compared him to Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers in his prime. Like he's a middle of the road quarterback that can play well in decent weather, struggles in bad weather...” (05:20).

• Players-Only Meetings:
  Middlekauff is skeptical about the value of these meetings, noting that NFL players already spend 70+ hours a week together:

  “A player's only meeting typically is like offensive guys or defensive guys. You're around your guys constantly... Your entire life is a player’s-only meeting. It's kind of stupid when you really think about it.” (06:05)

• Military Parallels & Organizational Hierarchy:
  He draws a parallel to the military in terms of hierarchy and accountability within teams, emphasizing the coach’s role as the “head of the snake.”

  “A good organization, once the season starts, knows that [the coach] is the head of the snake.” (07:11)

• Dolphins Culture Issues:
  The Miami Dolphins are depicted as a “rudderless ship,” with owner Stephen Ross critiqued for a lack of football acumen, resulting in a culture where discipline and leadership are lacking.

  “Mike [McDaniel] told you last year...‘I can't get people to stop showing up late. Fines do not work.’ I was like, this thing’s done. The moment the head coach acknowledges people won’t show up... it’s never going to function.” (07:40)

• Intangibles Over Talent:
  Middlekauff emphasizes the importance of character, wiring, and intangibles for player success. He notes that most players “need to be led,” and exceptional, self-motivating leaders like Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman are very rare.

• Tua’s Burden:
  Tua is wrongly forced into a leadership role he’s not suited for.

  “He has enough trouble just completing the bang eight over the middle of the field. Can we just have someone else be a leader? I don’t know, the head coach?” (18:47)

• Accountability for Franchise Leadership:
  The real issues, in Middlekauff’s view, are at the ownership and coaching level, not with Tua:

  “This doesn’t all fall on him. He’s just attempting to do whatever he can because no one else will.” (10:44)

2. NFL Coaching Hot Seats & Candidate Pool Realities

[15:00 – 29:00]

• Cycle of Firing & Hiring:
  There's a modern trend of owners easily firing coaches due to enormous franchise wealth:

  “Paying a guy 5, 10, $20 million to go away is pocket change. It’s created a culture... they can fire and hire people without hesitation anymore.” (10:55)

• Dwindling Quality among NFL Candidates:
  Middlekauff reviews a list of current and potential replacements and is unimpressed, with Mike McCarthy rated as the best among a weak class:

  “When I looked at this list that The Athletic put out, Mike McCarthy was by far the best candidate...That’s not exactly Bill Walsh.” (12:04, 14:10)

• Cautionary Tale for Coaching Changes:
  He warns against “grass is greener” thinking, especially when “replacing one guy kind of with the same guy,” such as Harbaugh with McCarthy.

• Comparison to College Football:
  Middlekauff notes that, in contrast, college football has more exciting coaching options due to recent success stories and the ability to pay top dollar.

• Unquantifiable Leadership:
  He stresses that leadership cannot be measured, but you know it when you see it:

  “Leadership, that characteristic, which is hard to quantify, it’s impossible. No one knows. But you know it when you see it. You feel a presence.” (20:04)

• McDaniel’s Credibility:
  Skeptical of Miami coach Mike McDaniel as a leader:

  “How is a 28-year-old guy who’s a multimillionaire... going to take you seriously? They just can’t. It's clear by the team that they don't.” (18:15)

• Second-Chance Coaches & Crisis Management:
  Coaches with prior head experience, like Andy Reid, are valued for managing crises—a skill not learned by coordinators.

3. Aaron Rodgers’ Frustration over Field Conditions

[26:14 – 29:00]

• Poor NFL Field Standards:
  Aaron Rodgers called the Steelers’ field “borderline unplayable.” Ben Roethlisberger and Middlekauff both criticize universities and NFL teams for not prioritizing top field conditions for multi-millionaire athletes:

  “How does it make sense that I can go on my phone and basically have anything delivered... but these NFL teams worth billions of dollars, let me repeat, billions of dollars...” (26:39)

• Family Ownership & Outdated Mentalities:
  He laments the frugality of old-school family owners who, despite enormous wealth, still allow substandard turf and field practices to persist.

• NFL vs. MLB Financial Models:
  Middlekauff compares the NFL’s league-wide revenue sharing as its unique competitive strength, contrasting it with MLB’s “independent operator” model that fuels competitive imbalance:

  “The Steelers playing the Bengals, the Arizona Cardinals benefit... In baseball, they're kind of like independent operators... that is the strength of the NFL.” (29:23)

4. Mailbag – Rapid-Fire Q&A

[38:17 – 64:22]

Middlekauff answers audience questions with his signature bluntness and insight, covering:

• 49ers’ O-Line Philosophy:
  Kyle Shanahan prioritizes skill positions over O-line, a philosophy Middlekauff thinks won’t change (38:17).

• Ravens’ Playoff Hopes:
  Realistic but tough outlook for injury-riddled Ravens, skepticism about stringing five wins together even when key players return (39:03).

• Transitive Property in NFL Fandom:
  Dismisses comparisons based on one team beating another, given the NFL's week-to-week chaos (41:00).

• Personal Life vs. Societal Milestones:
  Advises not to succumb to social pressures around marriage/kids—focus on personal and financial stability (42:57).

• International NFL Games:
  The NFL chases TV revenue regardless of fans' opinions—boycotts won’t matter (44:39).

• College Coaches & Program Advantages:
  Realities of college hiring—money, NIL, and school resources matter more than deep alumni ties (47:26).

• Steelers’ Playoff Chances:
  Defense and running game are key; questions about QB durability in cold weather and suggestion to upgrade at RB before playoffs (52:25).

• Coaching Limitations in Dallas:
  Jerry Jones’ insistence on control narrows the type of coach Cowboys can hire (54:54).

• Comparison to 2015-16 Broncos:
  Steelers’ defense isn’t quite at historical Broncos level, but could follow a similar formula for success if the D-line dominates (57:49).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tua and leadership:

  “TUA asked to be act like he's Peyton Manning. What are you doing? He has enough trouble just completing the bang eight over the middle of the field. Can we just have someone else be a leader?”
  — John Middlekauff, [18:47]

• On coaching candidate scarcity:

  "When I looked at this list that The Athletic put out, Mike McCarthy was by far the best candidate. And let me say this, I don't think he's a terrible candidate...But that's what we're dealing with here."
  — John Middlekauff, [14:10]

• On NFL owners’ mindset:

  “These people have no. They don't speak football. They don't understand football. It's why businessmen...can finagle their way in...and have incredible amount of power. Right? Because those people speak numbers, those people speak business. What the owner speaks, and the owner has no clue about football.”
  — John Middlekauff, [09:45]

• On NFL field conditions vs. finances:

  "How does it make sense that I can go on my phone and basically have anything delivered to my front door, from food to TVs to a car, within 24 hours? [But] these NFL teams worth billions of dollars...we’re still at the point where we’re talking about fields, grass or turf…”
  — John Middlekauff, [26:39]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tua Tagovailoa’s Leadership/Respect Problem: [03:00 – 15:00]
• NFL Owners & Organization Problems: [09:45 – 13:00]
• Coaching Hot Seat and Poor Candidate Pool: [15:00 – 22:00]
• Leadership in NFL Head Coaches: [20:04 – 22:00]
• Aaron Rodgers on Steelers’ Field: [26:14 – 29:00]
• NFL Financial Model vs. MLB: [29:23 – 31:00]
• Mailbag Q&A: [38:17 – 64:22]

Overall Tone & Style

Middlekauff keeps his analysis blunt, opinionated, and laced with humor and real talk drawn from personal NFL and scouting experience. There’s cynicism regarding ownership and leadership culture but a strong respect for the rare figures—coaches and players—that actually get it right.

This summary captures the episode's major insights, actionable football talk, and memorable quotes, giving a rich sense of the full conversation for anyone who missed the episode.