The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Best of the Week on The Herd

Date: August 30, 2025
Hosts: Jason McIntyre & Rachel Nichols (in for Colin Cowherd)
Guests: Bruce Feldman, Albert Breer, Rich Ohrnberger

Episode Overview

This week’s "Best of The Herd" dives deep into the seismic Micah Parsons trade to the Packers, breaking NFL contract philosophies, college football’s wild opening weekend, and some major off-field news in the sports/pop culture world (yes, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement gets the full Herd treatment). The episode is loaded with brisk debates, insider insights, and notable predictions, particularly around the college football playoff. Jason and Rachel are joined by top guests Bruce Feldman, Albert Breer, and Rich Ohrnberger, keeping the energy and takes at a rolling boil.

Key Segments & Takeaways

1. Micah Parsons Traded to the Packers: Reaction & Implications

[62:44 – 75:31]

• Blockbuster News: The Green Bay Packers shocked the football world by acquiring Micah Parsons from the Cowboys. Jason McIntyre is floored, calling it “seismic…bigger than the Matt Stafford trade…this is league-shifting.”
• Packers' Side: The acquisition is described as the final piece to their Super Bowl puzzle. Jason breaks down the defensive transformation and combination of Parsons with Rashan Gary as "a wrecking crew."
• Cowboys' Side: McIntyre is scathing about Jerry Jones's contract handling: "That is not how you run a football team. That is amateur hour. Amateurs act on emotion. Pros, they look at the numbers." ([73:11])
  • Cap Management: He argues Dallas bungled not trading Parsons a year earlier, losing leverage and value.
• Draft Strategy Critique: Jason points out Dallas' odd tactics: “We’ve got to stop the run...so you waited 217 picks to get a defensive tackle?”
• Odds Movement: Packers’ Super Bowl odds moved from +2200 to +1200 after the trade, placing them among the elite contenders.
• Locker Room Ramifications: The hosts and guests debate how this trade and contract standoff could affect leadership, culture, and future negotiations within both franchises.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s not hyperbole to say Micah Parsons is already on track to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s in the discussion with guys like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Myles Garrett as one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history after four years.” — Jason McIntyre ([63:17])
• “Does Jerry know what the hell he’s doing? At worst if he had done this at the beginning of the offseason, Jerry gets a bidding war started among several teams.” — Jason McIntyre ([73:45])

2. NFL Contract Philosophy & Cowboys Dysfunction

[40:55 – 53:01] (Albert Breer Interview)

• Negotiation Tactics: Albert Breer explores Jerry’s drawn-out, public approach to high-profile contract negotiations (“He does know what he’s doing. For a lot of these owners, it's keeping the money in your own pocket for as long as you can...and it’s control over workforce.” — [44:18])
• Cowboys Culture: Discussion about void in locker room affection for Parsons, contrasting with past stars like Dak Prescott and Zack Martin.
• League-Wide Trend: Other owners share Jones’s hardline stance — collective bargaining agreements, franchise tags, fines for holding out, all mechanisms to keep power with ownership.
• Players Keeping Score: “Players keep score by contract, players keep score by money...they’re paying attention to how you handle these sorts of negotiations.” — Albert Breer ([52:29])

3. College Football Playoff Tiers, Big Week 1 Matchups, and QB Drama

[03:12 – 32:27] & [80:05 – 92:16]

Super Bowl and College Football Playoff Tier Debates (Jason & Rachel)

• NFL Tiers: Jason unveils his four Super Bowl contender tiers, controversially putting the 49ers in Tier 1 and Chiefs in Tier 3. Falcons and Packers are surprise inclusions up high. ([04:01 – 08:23])
• College Football Tiers: Four CFB tiers—from “Head of the Class” to “Waitlisted”—spark debate. Clemson, Ohio State, Penn State, and Alabama headline, with Georgia moved down due to “major reload” and LSU & Miami as intriguing wild cards.

Bruce Feldman on CFB’s Massive Opening Weekend

[08:23 – 19:59]

• Texas-Ohio State Preview: Arch Manning’s high-pressure debut, Matt Patricia’s first college defensive coordinator job, and the unpredictability of four new Texas O-linemen.
  • “It reminds me a little bit of what Texas faced early last year at Michigan...it was a mismatch.” — Bruce Feldman ([09:22])
• Miami-Notre Dame: Deep Irish RB room versus a “much improved” Miami defense, new QBs on both sides, and a raucous environment.
  • “Ask players on the Notre Dame team that got blown off the field—like 48 to 7—when Manny Diaz was there, that place can get loud.” — Bruce Feldman ([12:33])
• LSU-Clemson: QB battles, absurd D-line talents, and coaching upgrades. Feldman sees Clemson as his playoff #1.
  • “When Clemson was winning national titles, they had elite receiver play...The receiver room is back closer to where it used to be.” — Bruce Feldman ([18:04])

Notable College Football Insights

• On Arch Manning: Skepticism remains if he’s “ready for primetime” after a year behind Quinn Ewers at Texas: “There’s still a lot left unknown about what he’s going to be as a quarterback.” — Albert Breer ([39:08])
• On James Franklin (Penn State): “It’s a problem...He has to continue to evolve and work at this thing and make sure his teams are ready to play in the biggest moments.” — Rich Ohrnberger ([88:58])
• On QB Development: Both guest analysts and Jason agree that successful QB transitions — in college (Arch, Carson Beck) and NFL (Caleb Williams) — require changing ingrained habits, sometimes over years not months.

4. Bears QB/Coaching Dynamic and Rookie Learning Curves

[53:01 – 58:03]

• Caleb Williams & Ben Johnson: Jason voices concern about potential friction between Bears OC Johnson and rookie QB Williams, citing ambiguous media signals and sudden backup signing.
• Process: Breer clarifies: Johnson is purposefully tough—“overload him with information...then figure out what he does well...This has gone according to plan.” ([53:50])
• Learning Curve: Williams must shift from “backyard football” at USC to NFL discipline: “[In college] he was asked to be the best player on the field...Now they want him to ‘play quarterback four times out of five, and the fifth, go be Superman.’” — Breer ([56:37])

5. Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Engagement: Sports/Pop Culture Crossover

[25:07 – 26:46]

• Swift/Kelce engagement rocks the sporting airwaves and even prompts musings about booking a wedding planner for future show segments.
• Fun, lighthearted encouragement from Jason: “For all the guys out there listening to this news, this is a reminder—shoot your shot, okay?” ([26:31])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• McIntyre on Packers’ Move:
  “Micah Parsons going from Dallas to Green Bay is bigger than the Matt Stafford trade...this is a seismic move.”
• Rachel Nichols on Shooting Your Shot:
  “Travis Kelce went on his own podcast and put out the call...and it worked. Yeah—shoot your shot.”
• Breer on NFL Owners’ Power:
  “If you don’t think your owner has that [‘control over workforce’] in the back of his head, you have your head in the clouds.”
• Bruce Feldman on Clemson Receivers:
  “The receiver room is back closer to where it used to be...I like where Clemson is now.”
• Rich Ohrnberger on James Franklin:
  “He won’t rest until he fixes this problem...could be in for 2025.”

Important Timestamps

• Super Bowl Tiers Unveiled (NFL): 03:43 – 08:23
• Feldman: Texas-Ohio State Breakdown: 08:23 – 10:44
• Feldman: Miami-Notre Dame, LSU-Clemson: 12:19 – 19:59
• Packers Trade for Micah Parsons Reaction: 62:44 – 66:30
• Cowboys Fallout & Jerry Jones Critique: 72:09 – 75:31
• Breer: Contract Philosophy and League Trends: 40:55 – 53:01
• Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson Dynamic: 53:01 – 58:03
• Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce Engagement: 25:07 – 26:46
• Rich Ohrnberger on Big Ten & Penn State: 80:05 – 92:16

Final Thoughts

This week’s best-of episode was dense with bombshell news, high-level football analysis, and witty sports radio banter. Jason McIntyre’s passionate hosting, alongside Rachel Nichols, kept the show moving, with guests delivering a blend of insider info and big-picture context.

Essential takeaways:

• The Packers are legit title threats after a franchise-changing trade.
• The Cowboys face existential questions about leadership and roster management.
• College football’s opening week is absolutely loaded, with perennial power dynamics in flux.
• NFL contract culture is more cutthroat and calculated than fans may realize.
• Never underestimate pop culture’s sports crossovers—and always shoot your shot.

If you missed the episode, this summary brings you all the color, debate, and insight that make "The Herd" essential listening.

End of Summary