Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: INSTANT REACTION: 49ers Beat Panthers On MNF, Purdy Clearly Isn’t 100%, Panthers Need To Draft A QB, Lane Kiffin Is #1 College Coaching Candidate
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd

Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd dives into his instant reactions to the San Francisco 49ers' 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. He offers sharp analysis of the current state of both teams, scrutinizes the performance and health of Brock Purdy, discusses the limitations and future of Panthers QB Bryce Young, and wraps up with a candid take on why Lane Kiffin is the hottest name in college football coaching, dismissing concerns about Kiffin's reputation. The tone is opinionated, direct, and draws from Cowherd’s blend of statistical context and strong football perspectives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 49ers' Win Over Panthers: Coaching, Injuries, and Broader Implications

Timestamp: 03:00 – 07:41

• San Francisco's Struggles and Coaching Brilliance

  • Cowherd opens by emphasizing that despite the win, the 49ers are not currently a top 10 team, largely due to key player losses and injuries.
  • Highlights how the coaching staff, especially Robert Saleh, is doing "a remarkable job…with smoke and mirrors" with a depleted roster:

    "Robert Sala is doing it with smoke and mirrors. Salah is going to get a head coaching opportunity. He's got charisma, he's got some alpha. He's done an unbelievable job. No Bosa, no Warner." (03:52)

• Christian McCaffrey’s Limited Impact

  • Notes that even McCaffrey hasn't been able to dominate, and the run game output is lower than expected.

• Brock Purdy’s Health & Worrisome Performance

  • Cowherd repeatedly stresses that Purdy is not healthy, analyzing his three first-half interceptions:

    "Two of his first half interceptions…no velocity. The ball hung in the air. The ball was behind the receiver. They just were duplicate interceptions. That tells me he can't drive the ball." (04:11)

  • Makes an analogy to an aging pitcher who’s lost his fastball.
  • Purdy’s drop-off statistically is framed as inevitable with injuries and a less elite supporting cast.

• Purdy Compared to Tua

  • Draws parallels to Tua Tagovailoa, calling Purdy a "right-handed Tua":

    "A little mobility, not a big arm, little injury-prone Tua. Don't trust him. In cold weather, Brock Purdy's had ball security issues." (06:00)

  • Stresses Purdy’s recent mediocrity (mid-90s passer rating, more interceptions) as due to both his limitations and the team’s injuries.

2. Bryce Young and the Panthers: A Sobering Assessment

Timestamp: 07:41 – 14:00

• Bryce Young’s NFL Reality Check

  • Very direct critique: Young can’t carry a bad NFL team as he did in high school and at Alabama, where he was always surrounded by superior talent:

    "He didn't really live an NFL life in high school or college…He was carried." (07:56) "He's okay. He's a guy." (08:30)

  • Details a red-zone interception as indicative of his inability to rise above adverse situations.

• QB Future in Carolina

  • Makes the case that the Panthers will likely draft a new quarterback within the next two years:

    "In these upcoming drafts, the next two drafts, I think Dan Morgan's going to go out and draft another quarterback...would you trust Bryce Young?" (09:10)

  • Labels Young as a "bridge starter", not a franchise cornerstone.

• Dan Morgan and Defensive Progress

  • Praises the Panthers' GM for defensive upgrades and smarter drafting.

• QB Attributes Matter

  • Argues the era of small QBs is fading; the league favors big, strong, athletic passers.

• Blitzing as Disrespect

  • On Saleh’s aggressive defensive play-calling:

    "The ultimate sign of disrespect to a quarterback is when a defensive coordinator blitzes...You blitz a quarterback you don't think can beat you." (11:38)

3. Brock Purdy & Standalone Game Performance

Timestamp: 14:00 – 16:30

• Shrinking Under Spotlight

  • Cowherd asserts Purdy plays worse on Monday Night Football, suggesting he presses to validate his reputation:

    "Brock Purdy is officially on Monday Night Football: five touchdowns, 11 picks and a 75 passer rating, well below his career average. I feel like Monday Night Football guys shrink. Bryce Young tonight. Shrinks." (13:10)

• Contrast in Franchise Direction

  • Praise for Carolina’s front office, but a harsh reality check about the lack of “winning DNA” at quarterback.

4. Lane Kiffin: The #1 College Coaching Candidate

Timestamp: 16:30 – 20:12

• Debunking Reputation Myths

  • Rebukes the notion (citing Joel Klatt) that Lane Kiffin’s credibility would be damaged by leaving Ole Miss:

    "Credibility in college football is winning. Lane Kiffin…is the hottest coach in the country. Why? He wins games." (16:50) "Let's not make this the Vatican. This is college football. It is boxing. It is bitcoin. It's unregulated." (19:15)

• The Realities of Coaching Movement

  • Describes college football as a cutthroat, self-interested business, with job mobility expected and even necessary:

    "Everybody knows Jimmy Sexton runs the sport. You know, he's the kingmaker behind the scenes, pulling all the strings." (18:15)

  • Lists why the LSU job is a major step up from Ole Miss for any coach.

• Kiffin’s Value

  • Elevates Kiffin to “Sean Payton on the market” status, arguing Ole Miss should be grateful for what he’s done and that Kiffin is the program’s value-add, not vice versa.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t think Brock Purdy’s 100%. Go look at the first two interceptions by Brock Purdy. No velocity, ball hangs in the air. Both balls thrown behind the receiver. It’s like an old pitcher that doesn’t have his fastball.”
  (Colin Cowherd, 04:13)

• “Bryce Young looks like to me a bridge starter in the NFL. Not a guy built around…kind of that Jameis Winston…sort of a bridge quarterback. You can put him in for a year or two, but I’m not building around Bryce Young.”
  (Colin Cowherd, 09:50)

• “The ultimate sign of disrespect to a quarterback is when a defensive coordinator blitzes. Nobody blitzed Brady. Nobody blitzes Mahomes. Peyton Manning was begging you to blitz him. The greats love you to blitz…You blitz a quarterback who can’t handle it.”
  (Colin Cowherd, 11:35)

• “Credibility in college football is winning. Lane Kiffin…but basically Saban kicked him off his staff. He bolted Tennessee, he got fired on a tarmac, got fired in the NFL. He’s the hottest coach in the country. Why? He wins games.”
  (Colin Cowherd, 16:50)

• “Let’s not make this the Vatican. This is college football. It is boxing. It is bitcoin. It’s unregulated. People don’t play even schedules. It’s every man for himself. Everybody’s tribal…”
  (Colin Cowherd, 19:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 49ers-Panthers Game Recap & Purdy Analysis — 03:00-07:41
• Bryce Young & Carolina’s QB Dilemma — 07:41-14:00
• Purdy Under Pressure — MNF and Standalone Games — 14:00-16:30
• Lane Kiffin as Coaching Free Agent — CFB Landscape — 16:30-20:12

Closing Thoughts

This episode delivers Cowherd’s trademark blend of sharp statistical context and big-picture thinking: he pulls no punches on Purdy’s limitations and health, sees trouble ahead for Bryce Young if Carolina doesn’t move on, and paints a colorful, unfiltered picture of college coaching politics and Lane Kiffin’s prospects. If you want quick, decisive reactions and honest context for the 49ers, Panthers, or college football’s coaching carousel, this episode delivers.