The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Best of The Herd – August 29, 2025
Hosts: Jason McIntyre & Rachel Nichols
Featured Guest: Jane Slater (NFL Network)

Episode Overview

This "Best of The Herd" episode takes a deep dive into one of the most seismic NFL developments of the offseason: the Green Bay Packers' blockbuster acquisition of All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys. With Colin Cowherd out, Jason McIntyre and Rachel Nichols dissect the trade from every angle—immediate football ramifications, behind-the-scenes locker room drama, organizational missteps, and the future for both franchises. Jane Slater of NFL Network joins with inside reporting from Dallas. The episode also touches on parallel woes for Dallas sports fans, the evolving athlete persona in the social media age, and quick hits around the NFL.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Packers’ Gamble: Big Move, Big Statement

Segment Start: [03:08]

• Blockbuster Trade Reaction: Jason McIntyre opens in disbelief at the Packers landing Micah Parsons for what he describes as "peanuts," likening the acquisition’s impact to past seismic trades for Matthew Stafford, Christian McCaffrey, and Khalil Mack.

  • "This is seismic. I mean, folks, Micah Parsons... is already on track to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer after four seasons." — Jason ([04:21])

• Green Bay’s Super Bowl Outlook: The addition propels Green Bay into his top tier of Super Bowl contenders, above previous estimations.

  • "They clearly vault to one... This puts them in the serious Super Bowl consideration." — Jason ([03:53])

• Surprising Draft Moves: The Packers broke tradition this offseason, drafting a wide receiver (Matthew Golden) in the first round—an uncharacteristic move that foreshadowed their aggressiveness in the Parsons trade.

  • “Sometimes smart businesses adapt and change and say, ‘We’ve done things one way, we’re going to make an adjustment...’” — Jason ([05:13])

• Defensive Outlook: With Parsons and Rashan Gary coming off opposite edges, the Packers' defense is called a “wrecking crew.” Odds for a Packers Super Bowl win dropped from +2200 post-draft to +1200 after the trade.

• Cap Savvy: Highlighting the Packers' early extension for Jordan Love, who is only the league’s 13th largest QB cap hit—a key reason they could afford Parsons.

The Cowboys’ Collapse: Mismanagement & Fallout

Segment Start: [08:02]

• Organizational Critique: Jason rips into Dallas owner Jerry Jones for acting with emotion and for a series of poor decisions, especially the handling of the three-pronged Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons contract situation.

  • "Pros, they look at the numbers, and the numbers said, Jerry, you bungled this badly." — Jason ([09:23])
  • "If he had gone last year and said, 'You know what? We can't afford CeeDee Lamb, Dak, and Micah,'... you could have made the deal last year and got more for Micah Parsons, why wait so long?" — Jason ([10:34])

• Draft Strategy Lamented: Jason debunks Jerry’s post-trade justification about "needing to stop the run," pointing out their lackluster urgency to draft the position needed.

  • "Mr. ‘We've got to stop the run’... you waited 217 picks to get a defensive tackle? What? Like, Jerry’s saying stuff that doesn't even make sense." — Jason ([12:20])

• Recent Trade Failures: Recaps the Cowboys’ recent trade blunders (Mingo, Trey Lance), painting a picture of an unchallenged owner.

• Team Morale: The move devastates the Cowboys fan base (“I'm literally crying right now," from a friend), while the front office’s credibility erodes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Packers’ Aggressiveness

• “They go out and get a superstar, a blue chip... I believe the Green Bay Packers probably will be in the NFC Championship Game.” — Jason ([06:40])

• “Every single person we had on, including Greg Jennings, was like, ‘Green Bay doesn’t do business this way.’” — Rachel ([15:23])

Jason’s Critique of Jerry Jones

• “Amateurs act on emotion. Pros…look at the numbers, and the numbers said, Jerry, you bungled this badly.” ([09:23])

• “If Jerry Jones wore his shirt inside out…would anybody in Dallas have the cojones to tell him, ‘Hey, billionaire owner, boss, your shirt’s inside out’?” — Jason ([13:39])

Rachel Nichols on Cap Catastrophe

• “If they first extended Dak...$49 million. CeeDee Lamb...$14 million. If he had extended Micah last year…$36 million...That all adds up to about $99 million you could have been paying other players.” ([29:35])

• "The decision making and forethought here, over and over and over again...is something I don't think we're talking about enough." ([32:11])

Dallas’ Sports Woes & The Modern Athlete

• “You lose Luka, you lose Micah. How does it—how on earth does Dallas trade two transcendent superstars?” — Jason ([21:40])
• Discussion on modern athlete branding and questions about focus:
  • "Micah Parsons has a podcast now...Is there a world where Jerry’s saying, ‘Ain’t nobody bigger than the Cowboys brand’?" — Jason ([24:54])

Inside the Locker Room: Jane Slater on Parsons & Dallas

Segment Start: [40:15]

• Micah’s Locker Room Persona:

  • “It's more of, in talking to former coaches, one of the concerns was: does he love football, or does he love the idea of being a football player...?” — Jane Slater ([41:59])
  • “There were a number of players who came to them and said, ‘We have to do something about Micah.’ ...It started to wear on the locker room.” — Jane Slater ([42:38])

• Cowboys Handling & Timing:

  • “What he has to sell me on...is why they did it the week before the season started...They could have addressed [the defense] back at the end of March, 1st of April.” — Jane ([41:02])

• Front Office Versus Player:

  • “The fact he walked in a letter to Stephen Jones, looked him in the eye and said, ‘I want the trade,’ and then showed up every single day to training camp...that takes a stomach. And that’s why I say he is a different dude.” — Jane ([46:44])

• Generational Persona Debate:

  • “When you listen to him on his podcast, he knows a lot about [football]. He’s interested, and he's interesting. I don't think he's a problem player. I just think he needs a better fit.” — Jane ([47:54])
  • “If I'm Micah Parsons, I'm frustrated. ...I am a generational type player. ...He felt manipulated and taken advantage of at some point.” — Jane ([48:23])

• Will There Be Hit Pieces on Micah?

  • “I don't think there's enough ammo. ...I never thought it rose to the ‘we've got a cancer in the locker room.’ ...If those pieces come out, I don't think that would be fair.” — Jane ([49:50])

Quick Hits: NFL Storylines & Future Matchups

Segment Start: [25:22]

• Bengals’ Training Camp: Rachel and Jason question if Cincinnati’s focus on offensive weapons over defense (ranked 25th last year) is wise.

• Packers’ Key Matchups:

  • Packers vs. Bengals (Week 6): “Micah Parsons chasing Joe Burrow.” – Jason ([26:32])
  • Parsons' return to Dallas: “Circle that one—Sunday Night Football, September 28th.” — Rachel ([26:48])
  • Packers vs. Ravens (Week 17) could be flexed to primetime.

• Ravens’ Leadership: Discussion on Lamar Jackson aiming for more vocal leadership to elevate playoff performance.

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Content Highlight | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 03:08 | Packers trade for Micah Parsons; immediate reactions | | 06:40 | Packers’ Super Bowl odds and analysis | | 08:02 | Cowboys' missteps: Jerry Jones' emotional decisions | | 11:49 | Jerry Jones audio, rationale for the trade | | 13:39 | Critique of Cowboys front office culture | | 15:13 | Reaction to Green Bay’s uncharacteristic aggressiveness | | 18:53 | Dallas sports parallel: Luka & Micah gone | | 21:40 | Memorable moment: Losing two superstars in Dallas | | 25:22 | Around the NFL: Bengals, Packers’ future matchups | | 29:35 | Rachel: Financial cost of the Cowboys’ planning mistakes | | 40:15 | Jane Slater interview: Locker room & front office details | | 41:59 | Locker room frustrations with Parsons | | 47:54 | Parsons’ persona: generational vs. distraction debate | | 49:50 | Will there be “hit pieces” on Micah after the trade? |

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Opinionated, rapid-fire, humorous, sometimes exasperated (especially from Jason on Dallas' mismanagement).
• For Packers Fans: Optimism, celebration—organizational boldness finally puts them over the top.
• For Cowboys Fans: Frustration and bewilderment—leadership failures, avoidable mistakes, and a superstar traded.
• NFL Landscape: The balance of power shifts; Green Bay immediately alters NFC title race calculations, and the Cowboys enter a likely rebuilding phase with unclear direction.

Essential Quotes

• Jason McIntyre [03:53]:
  “This puts them in the serious Super Bowl consideration. ...This move going from Dallas to Green Bay, I believe, is bigger than the Matt Stafford trade from a few years ago.”

• Rachel Nichols [29:35]:
  “If they first extended Dak...$49 million. CeeDee Lamb...$14 million. If he had extended Micah last year…$36 million...That all adds up to about $99 million you could have been paying other players.”

• Jane Slater [41:59]:
  “Does he love football, or does he love the idea of being a football player that gets the accolades?...I know it wore on the locker room, because...there were a number of players who came to them and said, ‘We have to do something about Micah.’”

• Jerry Jones [11:49]:
  “We did think it was in the best interest of our organization. Not only the future, but right now, this season as well, we've gained a Pro bowl player in an area that we had big concern in...”

• Jason McIntyre [13:39]:
  “If Jerry Jones wore his shirt inside out to the facility today, would anybody in Dallas have the cojones to tell him, hey, billionaire owner, boss, your shirt's inside out? Because it feels like nobody is telling Jerry what he needs to hear.”

Conclusion

This episode delivers a comprehensive, spirited, and at times cutting analysis of the Micah Parsons trade and its rippling impact. It’s essential listening for NFL fans who want not only the facts but the pulse and context behind the headlines, with rare behind-the-scenes color from Jane Slater and sharp, entertaining debate from McIntyre and Nichols. If you missed it, this summary brings you every key insight—minus the ad breaks and fluff.