Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: The Herd – Hour 1 – Green Bay Packers Are Innovative, Chicago Needs to Make a Decision at QB
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Colin Cowherd (with Jason McIntyre)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

This hour of "The Herd" is dominated by a sharp contrast between two storied NFC North franchises: the innovative, offensively progressive Green Bay Packers (following a statement win behind Jordan Love) and the beleaguered Chicago Bears, who are at a crossroads with young quarterback Caleb Williams. Colin Cowherd delivers impassioned takes on each team's philosophy, the trajectory of their pivots under center, and the lessons other NFL teams can take from these diverging approaches. The episode also touches on the Denver Broncos’ resurgence under Sean Payton, Saquon Barkley's breakout game for the Eagles, major college football coaching news, a World Series recap, and the strategic thinking behind blockbuster NFL trades.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Green Bay Packers: Model of Innovation and Development

(02:23–08:20)

• Jordan Love's Coming-of-Age Moment:
  Colin leads with Green Bay’s win over the Steelers, emphasizing Jordan Love's 20 straight second-half completions and likening the poise and ceiling he now possesses to that of past Packers legends Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

  • Quote: "That’s as good a second half in that spot as Favre and Rodgers ever had. He is elite. Arm size, mobility, accuracy. Combine that with Matt LaFleur’s play design and the Packers’ smart front office — this is going to be a Super Bowl-capable team for the next five years.” (03:38)

• Organizational Contrast – Packers vs. Steelers:
  He contrasts the Packers’ forward-thinking approach with the Steelers’ outdated, defense-first mentality and lack of urgency at quarterback.

  • Quote: "Green Bay drafts quarterbacks three years before they need them, lets them develop. And Jordan Love is no longer up and coming. He has officially arrived as a star quarterback in this league." (07:52)

• The Secret Sauce:
  Cowherd raves about rookie tight end Kraft, predicting a "ten-year Pro Bowler" career, and lauds the franchise for finding talent in unexpected places.

  • Quote: "That tight end, Kraft, is a ten-year Pro Bowler. That's your Travis Kelce. That kid is unbelievable." (10:13)

2. Chicago Bears: Uninspired, Mismatched, & Searching For Identity

(10:21–14:32)

• Backup QB Tyler Huntley Outplays Caleb Williams:
  Colin first gives significant credit to Ravens backup Tyler Huntley for his poised, efficient performance ("That is exactly what I want from a backup quarterback" (12:21)), then pivots to the Bears’ issues.

• Caleb Williams & Ben Johnson: A Bad Marriage?
  The host critiques the fundamental stylistic mismatch between timed, rhythmic play-caller Ben Johnson and improvisational, out-of-structure rookie QB Caleb Williams.

  • Quote: "Ben Johnson is a timing and rhythm coach for the Bears. Caleb is not a timing and rhythm quarterback. It's a weird marriage — maybe it lasts, but they're going to be in therapy for 25 years." (13:03)
  • Colin highlights Williams' great first-drive numbers, contrasted with inefficiency and inefficacy the rest of the way: “First drive he’s one quarterback, rest of game he's another … You can't script the entire game. You’ve got to be able to do stuff on your own.” (13:45)
  • Notable concern: "Top-tier quarterbacks hit the layups. Even the layups look hard [for Williams]." (13:54)
  • Audio breakdown of a crucial Caleb Williams interception:
    • Williams: "He undercut the route ... there might have been another option ..." (12:58)

• The Bigger Picture:
  Colin predicts the Bears will have to "play this out for the rest of the year," but he’s not optimistic about the pairing or its ceiling.

3. Defensive Performances & Backup Heroics in Ravens-Bears

(14:33–15:33)

• Jason McIntyre notes Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton’s impact (“61% of snaps in the box, so the Ravens said we’re going to take away the run game – Caleb, can you beat us? And he couldn’t.” (14:45)), while both hosts agree Bears’ defense is "fool's gold" — good at takeaways, but vulnerable when not generating turnovers.

• Tyler Huntley receives further praise:

  • Colin: "If you didn't know who he was, you'd be like, 'He's pretty good. You could win playoff games with that guy.'" (15:18)

4. Denver Broncos: Sean Payton’s Instant Impact

(20:11–25:12)

• Colin lauds Sean Payton for swiftly transforming the Broncos, noting that "it doesn’t take that long to win in this league" if you have the right leader.

  • Quote: "Don’t put this on Dak [Prescott]. Denver’s got a lot of really good players, and a lot of them Sean Payton has his fingerprint on. Denver’s roster has Sean Payton written all over it." (20:38)

• He draws parallels to great movie directors — Payton’s vision shows up on the field just like a director’s does on screen:

  • “It’s almost like in Hollywood — I always look for who’s the director. Scorsese, Spielberg, Nolan … it doesn’t mean it’ll win an Oscar, but you know it’s well-made. That’s what Denver is with Payton.” (22:00)

• Payton (clip): “I just didn’t think they could keep up with what we were doing … it was a pretty one-sided game.” (24:44)

5. Saquon Barkley and the Eagles – Offensive Adjustments Pay Off

(25:45–29:41)

• Jason McIntyre recaps Saquon Barkley’s breakout game (65-yard TD, 174 total yards vs Giants). Both note the Eagles’ adaptable offensive approach with three tight-end sets and heavy O-line packages, which worked especially with A.J. Brown out.

• Colin muses about potential trade value and locker room dynamics if A.J. Brown was moved by the Eagles, drawing on previous examples (Dez Bryant/Dak Prescott) and the importance of not disrupting a young QB’s development.

6. College Football: Coaches & Fit; Brian Kelly Out at LSU

(29:41–34:48)

• Brian Kelly’s firing at LSU becomes a case study in “fit” versus resume.

  • Colin on Kelly: “He’s a Midwestern guy, ready to retire, took the LSU job for a bag of money … never felt like a great fit.” (30:18)
  • Jason’s blunt addendum: "Good football mind, not a great human being ... he's not the nicest, warmest individual." (31:54)

• The hosts debate which jobs (LSU, Penn State, Florida) are truly elite in the modern college landscape, with Colin favoring the talent-dense South but Jason wary of the SEC’s brutal competition.

7. World Series, Dodgers, and Spending on Superstars

(34:41–37:15)

• Recap of Dodgers ace Yamamoto’s dominant complete game and the rationale for LA’s high-spending approach.
  • Colin: “When you pick the right person in pro sports … yeah, the price is big, but look what you get on the postseason stage.” (36:09)
  • Jason recalls critics of Yamamoto’s contract before the signing.

8. Packers-Steelers Re-examined; Rodgers’ Regrets

(41:03–45:24)

• Colin reflects on Aaron Rodgers’ candid admission about playing the Steelers on a “silent count” in Pittsburgh due to so many Packers fans, reinforcing Green Bay’s nationwide pull and the unique bond its alumni have with the franchise.

• He likens Rodgers’ current career arc (“defensive head coach, outdated teams”) to taking a job and wishing you’d waited for a better open position (Minnesota).

• Colin: "The Steelers are just a better franchise … but I don’t think any of this is on Aaron right now." (44:50)

9. The Micah Parsons Trade: No Fleecing, Just Compromises

(45:24–49:42)

• Jerry Jones is quoted as not regretting trading Parsons: “I’ve been critical of Jerry Jones. He’s 100% right. Green Bay didn’t steal Micah … This is always the Shaq-Kobe deal for me. Sometimes you have to make moves that are unpopular in the short term for the long-term good of your roster.” (47:26)

• Importance of flexibility (draft capital, cap room) over short-term pain

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jordan Love: "He’s the top six, seven guy in the league. He has officially arrived as a star quarterback in this league." — Colin Cowherd (07:50)
• On Bears’ coaching-QB fit: “Ben Johnson is a timing and rhythm coach for the Bears. Caleb is not a timing and rhythm quarterback. This is gonna be a weird marriage. Maybe it lasts, but they're going to be in therapy for 25 years.” — Colin Cowherd (13:03)
• On backup QBs: “That is exactly what I want from a backup quarterback. That was one of the most impressive backup quarterback performances … You could win playoff games with that guy.” — Colin Cowherd (15:18)
• On head coaches’ impact: “It doesn’t take that long to win in this league. You watch that game. Denver’s got a lot of really good players and a lot of them Sean Payton has his fingerprint on.” — Colin Cowherd (20:38)
• On college football job ‘fit’: “He’s a Midwestern guy ... never felt like a great fit [at LSU]. Some jobs, it’s really about personality and fit.” — Colin Cowherd (30:18)
• On sports investment: “When you pick the right person in pro sports ... yeah, the price is big, but look what you get on the postseason stage.” — Colin Cowherd (36:09)
• On Jerry Jones & Micah Parsons: “Green Bay didn’t steal Micah. They got two first round picks. ... This is always the Shaq-Kobe deal—sometimes you know it's going to look awful for a couple years.” — Colin Cowherd (47:26)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Packers-Steelers, Jordan Love’s breakout: 03:38–08:20
• Packers’ team-building philosophy: 07:15–08:20
• Bears QB struggles, Williams/Johnson misfit: 10:21–14:32
• Tyler Huntley praise, Bears’ defense: 14:33–15:33
• Sean Payton/Broncos segment: 20:11–25:12
• Saquon Barkley/Eagles offense: 25:45–29:41
• Brian Kelly out at LSU: 29:41–34:48
• Yamamoto/Dodgers spending analysis: 34:41–37:15
• Aaron Rodgers, Steelers, Packers fans: 41:03–45:24
• Micah Parsons trade/roster building: 45:24–49:42

Tone & Style

Colin’s tone is classic Cowherd: assertive, analogy-rich, slightly sardonic, and inclined toward “big picture” organizational thinking. He balances sharp criticism (of the Bears’ direction, Brian Kelly’s cultural fit, and the Steelers’ stale philosophy) with praise for innovation and patience (Packers, Sean Payton, Dodgers). The episode is brisk, layered with stats, and peppered with wit and memorable analogies.

This summary captures and organizes all major topics and insights, with clear attributions and timestamps, so even those who haven’t listened can experience the episode’s content and flow.