The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 (Jan. 27, 2026)

Main Topics:

• Buffalo Bills hire Joe Brady as head coach
• Comfort hires across the NFL: Steelers & Bills
• The evolving reputation of Sam Darnold
• NFL’s head coaching cycle and the importance of ‘hot’ hires
• Are Sean McVay and favored coaches unfairly valued?

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the NFL’s recent head coaching moves, focusing on the Buffalo Bills’ hire of Joe Brady and the Steelers’ hire of Mike McCarthy. Colin compares these "comfort hires" to teams taking big swings on “hot market” coaches, lays out what winning organizations do differently, and critiques the logic behind these moves. The segment also revisits Sam Darnold’s journey and how public narratives can often shape — or misrepresent — a quarterback’s legacy. The hour closes with a discussion about decision-making, analytics, and the perhaps too-easy treatment of favored coaches like Sean McVay.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buffalo Bills Hire Joe Brady – Is It Inspired or "Fine"?

[02:32–16:02 | 27:11–29:48]

• The Bills have promoted Joe Brady, Josh Allen’s QB coach, to head coach.
• Colin questions if this follows the modern NFL blueprint for success: hiring the top “hot” coach from the market.
  • Recent successful examples: Harbaugh to Chargers, Vrabel to Patriots, Ben Johnson to Bears, Sean Payton to Broncos, Mike McDonald to Ravens.
  • “The number one thing we learned is if you want to be great... it’s a Ben Johnson. It’s a Sean McVay. It’s a Mike McDonald, it’s a Mike Vrabel...” (Colin, 03:40)
• Joe Brady: “He interviewed for a couple jobs, but the number one coach in this cycle was John Harbaugh. Next year… I’m not sure Joe Brady qualifies.” (Colin, 05:18)
• Specific challenge for Buffalo: Josh Allen’s $56 million cap hit limits roster flexibility.
  • “Is Josh Allen going to be really, really affordable on a team friendly deal? No, he’s not. His cap hit is $56 million.” (Colin, 04:53)
• Buffalo’s approach viewed as settling for “fine” rather than transformative.
  • “You can hire Joe Brady but in recent history there is a blueprint and Seattle and New England followed it… Joe Brady, that’s not him. Could be fine. Think he could be fine. Buffalo’s done with fine.” (Colin, 10:19)

Notable Quotes

“Buffalo doesn’t want fine.” (Colin, 10:25)
“Bills and Steelers went with comfort.” (Colin, 16:02)

2. Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy — Another Comfort Hire?

[12:55–16:02]

• Pittsburgh looks inward, selecting McCarthy as a stable, familiar leader.
• Matt Hasselbeck: “Mike McCarthy is as Pittsburgh as a person could possibly be. So I'm happy for him and I do think it's a good fit.” (13:41)
• Colin pushes: “When the Steelers, with Mike McCarthy in the AFC… Do you think if the Steelers in a big game late in the season, go up against Vrabel, Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh or Sean Payton, do you think you have the best coach? You do not.” (Colin, 12:35)
• Ownership prioritizing immediate wins and comfort over upside and risk.
• “Steelers have one playoff win in nine years. Mike McCarthy has one playoff win in nine years. That was their big swing.” (Colin, 14:40)

3. NFL Head-Coaching Trends & "The Blueprint" for Winning

[03:40–14:56 | 27:19–35:56]

• Colin lays out an ironclad formula: hire the best coach available and pair them with a great QB on a team-friendly deal (ideally a rookie contract).
  • Successes: Seattle with Sam Darnold, New England with Vrabel and a cheap young quarterback.
  • “You have to negotiate the best team friendly deal you can at quarterback because Mahomes didn’t make the playoffs and Josh Allen got bounced…” (Colin, 13:47)
• Comfort vs. innovation: teams “settling” (Bills/Steelers) tend to get predictably average, not exceptional, results.
• Colin predicts the Giants as a 2026 surprise team following this blueprint.
  • “Giants, I’m going to make it five years in a row, are going to double their win total and make the playoffs next year. I did it with the Patriots and Seahawks this year and you called me crazy.” (Colin, 07:34)

Notable Quotes

“Hire one of the best two coaches, don’t worry about comfort.” (Colin, 13:47)
“When it comes to a coaching search, do you believe the coach you are hiring is a notable and not debatable upgrade over the last coach?... When the answer is yes, usually good things happen.” (Colin, 35:17)

4. Sam Darnold’s Reputation — Is It Undeserved?

[19:59–26:39]

• Examines Minnesota’s reasoning for letting Darnold walk: “He struggled in several big games.” Colin digs into the numbers:
  • Vs. divisional rivals Packers & Bears: undefeated, excellent stats.
  • Against playoff teams: superior passer rating.
• The negative narrative stems from two late-season games, particularly against Detroit and the Rams (end of season, poor protection, elite defenses).
• Colin: “Sam Darnold in the last four teams he’s played with… has the highest winning percentage of any quarterback in the NFL.” (Colin, 23:01)
• Drew Brees’ take: Darnold’s adversity has helped him grow as a player and person.
  • “He’s handled it with a lot of class. He certainly has.” (Drew Brees, relayed by Colin, 25:30)
• Narrative inertia: “The minute you say Darnold, it's, ‘Wow, he's reckless, man. He's bad in big games.’ It's just not true.” (Colin, 24:33)

5. Coaching Hires: Ranking by Impact

[27:19–29:48 | 30:55–35:56]

• Colin ranks top hires this coaching cycle based on resume and impact:
  • 1. John Harbaugh (Giants)
  • 2. Kevin Stefanski
  • 3. Jesse Minter (young, “McVay of this cycle”)
  • 4. Robert Saleh (Tennessee: “a very strong hire in my opinion”)
• Comfort/culture hires: Joe Brady and Mike McCarthy do not rank among the best.
• “There’s two hires here that feel like comfort hires. McCarthy and Brady doesn’t make them bad… in fact, I would argue they will both win.” (Colin, 28:28)

6. Cleveland Browns Coaching Search — "Uninspiring" Process

[29:48–33:17]

• Browns possibly settle by moving toward Jim Schwartz, neither a top candidate nor young, in-demand coach.
• “According to reports, it was one of the least interesting jobs and least desirable jobs… They were demanding you write an essay on why you think you’re qualified for the job. Which is a strange ask when you're not that desirable a position.” (Colin, 30:55)
• Both Colin and guest see the hire as “uninspiring.”
• The team is mired in bad ownership decisions; Colin expresses limited sympathy.

7. Do Popular Coaches (Sean McVay) Get More Leeway?

[40:16–47:47]

• Colin explores how media and fans are quicker to forgive mistakes from likable (“cool”) coaches such as Sean McVay versus more polarizing ones (Sean Payton).
  • Analyzes late-game 4th down calls: McVay’s questionable call gets a pass; Payton’s does not.
  • “So there you go, fourth down. ... Do you like the guy? You’re much more willing to defend the guy. And McVay's got a very good reputation and everybody likes him.” (Colin, 47:16)
• Analytics are now used to justify the same calls differently depending on personality/reputation.
• Broader point about narrative, likability and media framing in both sports and politics.

Notable Quote

“I defended both coaches because I don’t like beating coaches up for play calling... But it is interesting, the analytics. ... Do you like the guy? You're much more willing to defend the guy.” (Colin, 47:12)

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• NFL hiring “blueprint”:
  “The number one thing we learned is if you want to be great... look at the last five or six coaches. It’s a Ben Johnson. It’s a Sean McVay. It’s a Mike McDonald, it’s a Mike Vrabel, it’s a Sean Payton.” (03:40)
• On Joe Brady’s fit:
  “Joe Brady. That’s not him. Could be fine. Think he could be fine. Buffalo’s done with fine.” (10:19)
• Steelers/McCarthy hire:
  “Mike McCarthy is as Pittsburgh as a person could possibly be. So I’m happy for him and I do think it’s a good fit.” (Matt Hasselbeck, 13:41)
• On the Browns’ coaching search:
  “They wanted you to write an essay on what qualified you for the job. Which is a strange ask when you're not that desirable a position.” (30:55)
• Darnold’s winning record undervalued:
  “Sam Darnold in the last four teams he’s played with… has the highest winning percentage of any quarterback in the NFL.” (23:01)
• Narrative challenge:
  “The minute you say Darnold, it's, ‘Wow, he's reckless, man. He's bad in big games.’ It's just not true.” (24:33)
• Comfort vs. upside:
  “There’s two hires here that feel like comfort hires. McCarthy and Brady… That doesn’t make them bad. They could both win.” (28:28)
• Does likability shape critique?
  “Do you like the guy? You're much more willing to defend the guy. And McVay's got a very good reputation and everybody likes him.” (47:16)

Timestamps for Major Topics

• Bills hire Joe Brady – analysis, blueprint talk: 02:32–16:02
• Steelers hire McCarthy: 13:25–16:02
• Sam Darnold’s reputation: 19:59–26:39
• Ranking this year’s coaching hires: 27:19–29:48
• Cleveland coaching search reaction: 29:48–33:17
• Are we easier on McVay than others? 40:16–47:47

Final Takeaways

• Comfort vs. potential: The NFL’s most successful teams chase upside and “the hot hire,” not comfort.
• QB contracts shape everything: Having a cost-effective, quality QB opens championship windows.
• Media/fandom narratives are sticky: Both with Sam Darnold (“reckless in big games”) and with favored coaches (McVay gets leeway).
• Winning strategy is clear: “Hire one of the best two coaches… and negotiate the best team friendly deal you can at quarterback.” (13:47)
• Predictive pick: Colin predicts the Giants will be next season’s surprise team, doubling their win total.

For fans seeking a sharp, opinionated, detail-rich rundown on the NFL coaching carousel, Sam Darnold’s misunderstood career arc, and why some teams keep spinning their wheels, this episode delivers.