THE HERD - Hour 1 - The reason Bill Belichick didn't get in the HOF on his first try, Sam Darnold is a top 5 QB, Jesse Minter

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Hour 1 (January 29, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging hour, Colin Cowherd tackles some of the biggest NFL stories of the day. He analyzes why Bill Belichick was snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first try, dives deep into Sam Darnold’s rapidly soaring reputation, discusses NFL coaching hires (with special attention to Jesse Minter, new Ravens head coach), and muses on pressing stories around the NFL and NBA, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors and LeBron’s emotional return to Cleveland.

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Main Topics & Key Insights

Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub: Spygate Looms Large

• Contextualizing the Snub
  Colin leans on trusted reporting (notably Ian O’Connor’s Athletic piece) to explain that Spygate, not Belichick’s coaching record sans Brady, is the overwhelming reason for his initial exclusion from the Hall of Fame.

  • “Multiple sources saying it is Spygate. Spygate. ...Overwhelmingly, according to multiple sources, Spygate that kept him out for a year.” (01:13, Colin)

• Severity of the Penalties
  Colin emphasizes how rare and significant the penalties levied on New England were (loss of high draft picks, large fines), drawing analogies to everyday consequences to refute popular “everybody does it” defenses.

  • “Ask yourself this, folks. When’s the last time your favorite team lost a first round pick? Or a third or your coach was fined a million dollars? ...The answer’s never.” (02:01, Colin)
  • On “everybody does it”: “That doesn’t get you past a governing body, a sanctioning body, a cop on the freeway, ... the IRS agent, the Hall of Fame voters. They don’t care.” (06:27, Colin)

• Perspective on Belichick’s Fate
  Colin argues this is a “slap on the wrist,” not a Pete Rose-level banishment, and frames the Hall’s decision as reasonable, if not perfect.

  • “He is getting a brief slap on the wrist for not just one Spygate. ...I think it’s reasonable. Reasonable. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. It’s reasonable to push the pause button for a year.” (06:49, Colin)

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Sam Darnold: From Journeyman to (Potential) Top-5 QB?

• Cowherd's Argument
  Cowherd asks what to make of Sam Darnold’s sudden success, given his prior struggles — highlighting durability, cost-effectiveness, and supporting cast as crucial in the modern QB landscape.

  • “Of the many quality things about him ... the other thing is, he stays healthy. Joe Burrow doesn’t. Brock Purdy doesn’t. Lamar Jackson’s missed an entire year of games in his career. Darnold is almost always healthy.” (07:24, Colin)

• Supporting Cast Matters
  Colin points out that most QBs, apart from Josh Allen, are only as good as their coaches, coordinators, and teams.

  • “I think the truth about Sam Darnold is the truth about this position is that ... Outside of Josh Allen, you’re as good as your coach, your coordinator and your supporting cast.” (08:50, Colin)

• Impact on Previous Teams
  He cites the dramatic improvement of teams upon Darnold’s arrival, invoking Jimmy Johnson’s assessment: > “He doesn’t have to carry that team on his shoulders at Carolina. He had to carry that football team. He couldn’t do it because he turned it over. Now he knows he’s got a great defense... So I think the experience that he had and the team that he’s with and the coaching that he’s getting allowed him to be a great player.” (09:19, Jimmy Johnson, paraphrased by Colin)

  • “Seems like to me, hoisting a trophy in about 10–12 days, have to reconsider where we put him.” (10:15, Colin)

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NFL Coaching Carousel & Jesse Minter’s Big Step

• Colin’s Confidence in Key Hires Colin singles out John Harbaugh (Giants), Kevin Stefanski (Falcons), Robert Saleh (Titans), and Jesse Minter (Ravens) as the rare coaching hires he feels “very, very strongly about” working out well. All other jobs, he calls “a dice roll.” (01:00 & 20:05, Colin)

Interview: Jesse Minter, New Baltimore Ravens Head Coach (33:55–40:20)

• Takeaways from Working With the Harbaughs

  • On Jim Harbaugh:

    “Jim empowers the players really well to create an identity of team football...we’re all after the same thing, we all have the same goals, and so we’re willing to...play as a team...” (33:55, Jesse Minter)

  • On John Harbaugh:

    “He really empowered a lot of the coaching staff ... ability to be forward thinking...Always looking for the next great thing and researching and studying and doing things like that.” (34:30, Jesse Minter)

• Defensive Coach in an Offensive League

  • Jesse, on building a defense-first culture:

    “It’s about creating beliefs and goals ... creating standards of how you operate that match those goals of what you’re trying to achieve. ...I still think defense wins championships.” (35:49, Jesse Minter)

• Coaching Lamar Jackson

  • “You want the structured plays to work really well ... but those unstructured plays, I mean that’s where, that’s where he’s the best in the world.” (37:10, Jesse Minter)

• Culture-Setting in Baltimore

  • “I think we need to become a really connected team...a really well connected team that’s tough and physical, but also that’s very innovative. We want to be really forward thinking schematically in all three phases.” (39:32, Jesse Minter)

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Notable NFL Storylines

Philadelphia Eagles: OC Search Struggles

• Why No One Wants the Job
  • “Why would you move your family cross country? You could get whacked in a year...you either get a great head coaching opportunity or you get fired.” (12:36, Colin)
  • Colin argues Philadelphia is a “coordinator-dependent” franchise, especially on offense; the hesitancy is a reflection of doubts about Nick Sirianni’s long-term prospects and organizational stability. (17:04–18:27, Colin)

Bo Nix/Sean Payton Rift?

• Clarifying a Potential QB-Coach Disagreement
  • Bo Nix contradicts Sean Payton’s public comments on his injury:

    “Nothing predisposed. Nothing that was there originally...I don’t think he should share how many surgeries I've had...” (21:14, Bo Nix)

  • Colin downplays the drama, cautioning against over-interpreting “rifts” and advocating for more privacy around player injuries. (22:24–24:50, Colin)

Raiders & Cardinals Coaching Searches

• Colin Favors the Raiders Job
  • “I actually think ... if you’re giving me Harbaugh is the best hire...this feels pretty promising to me. This, this would give me a passing grade...there’s a couple I don’t like. This feels pretty solid to me.” (19:07–20:09, Colin)

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NBA Musings

LeBron’s Emotional Return to Cleveland

• “He got, like, emotional. Yeah, it was actually pretty cool.” (25:54, J. Mac)
• “He can bully his way to 20 points...he could do that for the next several years. He’s so much bigger and stronger than guards and forwards in this league in almost all centers.” (26:11, Colin)
• “I think he does more things well than any basketball player I’ve ever seen.” (26:45, Colin)

Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors

• “According to a story, Giannis from the Bucks is ready to be dealt, and the Bucks are now ready to listen to offers...He’s now 31 with several injuries. Number two is he can’t shoot.” (27:08, Colin)
• Colin argues the league's shift to 3-pointers and new CBA transaction barriers have devalued dominant bigs, making it harder for teams like Milwaukee to get full value in return now.
  • “You say to yourself, well, he’s still great three years in a row. First round exits in the East. The East is bad.” (29:31, Colin)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Spygate and Belichick:

  • “It was called an illegal...taping operation. That’s not what I’m calling it. That’s what the league called it.” (06:13, Colin)

• On Coaching Hires:

  • "I have, you know, my own style... We're going to create an identity of a really well connected team that's tough and physical, but also that's very innovative." (39:32, Jesse Minter)

• On Sam Darnold & Quarterbacks:

  • “Outside of Josh Allen, you’re as good as your coach, your coordinator and your supporting cast." (08:50, Colin)
  • “I don’t think it’s crazy to say Sam Darnold hoists a trophy, you got to put him in the top 10.” (10:10, Colin)

• On LeBron James:

  • “He does more things well than any basketball player I’ve ever seen...” (26:45, Colin)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:13 – Belichick HOF Snub & Spygate
• 04:39 – (via Seth Wickersham) Details on the league’s letters and ongoing rule-breaking
• 07:24 – Sam Darnold’s surprising rise
• 09:19 – Jimmy Johnson’s analysis of Darnold’s improvement
• 11:27 – Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator struggles
• 21:14 – Bo Nix countering Sean Payton on injuries
• 25:48 – LeBron’s emotional last return to Cleveland
• 27:08 – Giannis trade rumblings: why it’s happening now and the impact of NBA's evolution
• 33:55–40:20 – Jesse Minter Interview: on coaching philosophies, Harbaugh lessons, and Ravens’ organizational culture

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Conclusion

This episode is a quintessential “Herd” hour: opinionated, fast-moving, and loaded with inside football perspectives and lively debates. Colin delivers sharp takes on the NFL’s current climate—and the implications of both coaching and quarterback movement—while weaving in top stories from across sports. The centerpiece interview with Jesse Minter, new Ravens head coach, spotlights his grounding in Harbaugh-style leadership and his (and the Ravens’) aspirations for sustained excellence.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human I'm Colin Coward from the Herd Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. In the latest season, hosts Austin Hanquitz and Jenise Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you to get more done in less time. You don't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. RingCentral's AI receptionist uses Voice AI to answer on the first Ring so you'll never miss a call again. In just a few minutes, you can personalize your own AI receptionist to answer questions, route calls, schedule appointments, and even send texts and in multiple languages. Plus, it's easy to scale Create unlimited AI receptionists across any phone system. It's all powered by one reliable platform for effortless AI communications. See for yourself at ringcentral.com ringcentral Voice of your business thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific Fox. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, it is a Thursday. Greg Cosell, one hour from now. Wild show yesterday. All sorts of stuff cooking today. Jesse Minter, new coach of the Ravens, will be stopping by. I think he's one of the four coaching hires. John Harbaugh, Stefanski, Robert Sala, Jesse Minter, those four. I feel very, very strongly about everything else. Dice roll. So I want to start with this. Whenever there's a big, big, big story, a controversy, there's two or three or four columnists in the country or reporters I lean on and make sure I read their columns for some contextualization. Ian o' Connor is probably my most consistent columnist I trust for perspective. And I read his story at the Athletic this morning about Belichick being snubbed in the hall of Fame and sure enough, multiple sources saying it is Spygate. Spygate. Some did bring up, according to the article, that he won 45% of his games without Brady and and often was embarrassing, but it was overwhelmingly, according to multiple sources, Spygate that kept him out for a year. Okay, so once again, I will say nobody kicked Bill out of the hall of Fame and nobody is banning him forever. He is getting a brief slap on the wrist for not just one Spygate. I think many of you have forgotten there were two Spy Gates. Both times New England had to surrender. Excellent draft picks. Ask yourself this, folks. When's the last time your favorite team lost a first round pick? Or a third or your coach was fined a million dollars? Oh, the answer's never. The NFL doesn't do that. And they don't like to do that to the reigning dynasty at the time. But what is amazing to me about yesterday's reaction to Belichick, I find this funny. I was at the other network for most of the dynasty. I stopped taking phone calls on it. You couldn't take a Patriot call. Everybody constantly said, you can't trust these guys. Gate this and gate that. You can't trust 99% of the people that weren't Patriot fans. Always labeled them cheaters. And yet yesterday, those same fans are outraged that the voters listened to you and said, we're gonna. We're gonna punish him. Not the whole team, not Brady, not Kraft. We're gonna punish Bill, who you know is the CEO of the football operation. We're gonna punish him probably for a year. Gotta sleep on the couch. Seth Wickersham, great reporter. And at the other place ESPN talked about Spygate and why that was the problem for some of the voters. Not all. Some. Look, they were taping it from the illegal location for seven years before they got caught.

[Jesse Minter]

You know, the league had sent Belichick.

[Colin Cowherd]

Three letters warning him to stop, and he didn't do it. So there was like an entire perception that the league was covering up and.

[Jesse Minter]

Swept all this stuff under the rug.

[Colin Cowherd]

For Belichick and for Robert Kraft. You know, we wrote about Bill Polian in the article.

[Jesse Minter]

You know, those teams that had to compete against Belichick? Haven't forgotten those things.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nor would they ever. Nor would you. Patriots won a lot of close games and had multiple six and seven figure fines for the coach. Lost a first round pick. Couple of those, a third round pick, he's going to get in. This is not Pete Rose, but can we go to this excuse? I heard a lot yesterday. Everybody does it. So if you got pulled over on the road, you had a couple cocktails and the cop pulls you over, you're a little tipsy, you turn to the cop, roll down the window and go, hey, I mean, everybody does it. Would he say Be on your way. If you were audited by the irs, couple of IRS agents come into your business, open that file cabinet or know that disk, that file and you just said, hey listen, I know it looks a little shady, but everybody does it. Would they just walk out and go, be on your way, Keep doing what you do, folks. It was called an illegal. An illegal taping operation. That's not what I'm calling it. That's what the league called it. The everybody does it excuse. Makes you and I sleep better. That doesn't get you past a governing body, a sanctioning body. A cop on the freeway after a couple of bruise past the IRS agents, You know there's a reason guys sleep on the couch. Everybody doesn't. Doesn't pass a smell test at home either. It just makes you sleep a little better. So when an NFL franchise is levied huge seven figure fines and loses first round picks and a third round pick, I think it's reasonable. Reasonable. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. It's reasonable to push the pause button for a year. For the record, Jim Harbaugh was banned for an illegal taping operation for 14 years by the NCAA. The everybody does it excuse. And I think 14 years is ridiculous. And I do think everybody in college to some degree does it. The ncaa, that cop on the freeway, your wife, the IRS agent, the hall of Fame voters, they don't care. Not everybody ends up in Super Bowls. So we were talking as a staff this morning, it was kind of funny. We were talking about if Sam Darnold wins the Super Bowl. You know, everybody always likes to do tiers and lists for quarterbacks. The hell do you do with Sam Darnold? So of the many quality things about him, good guy, tough, big arm, athletic, still only 28, team friendly deal, not much of a cap hit. The other thing is he stays healthy. Joe Burrow doesn't. Brock Purdy doesn't. Lamar Jackson's missed an entire year of games in his career. He is almost always healthy. What's funny about the quarterback position? If you take out Josh Allen. Just take out Josh Allen. Superman 66250, unbelievably mobile, huge arm. Is there any quarterback in the league you're absolutely sure is going to win double digit games next year? I mean I love Drake May. He's got more turnovers and touchdowns in the playoffs so far. He's still learning on the job. I love Caleb Williams. What's his career completion percentage? He's still growing. I mean again, Lamar Jackson what about him? He's going to be a massive cap hit. He misses games regularly. He and Harbaugh apparently had a riff. And let's be honest, with that big cap hit, Baltimore's roster is going to be as thin as it can be. So I'm thinking about Sam Darnold if you take Josh Allen out. Well, what about Mahomes? What about him? He's not in the playoffs. The O line and run game weekend. Well, what about Joe Burrow? Not in the playoffs. Lamar? Not in the playoffs. Justin Herbert performs badly in the playoffs. I love Matt Stafford. So do you. Turns 38 in a week, not mobile. Zero playoff wins in Detroit, 13 years. I think the truth about Sam Darnold is the truth about this position is that we look up, we worship. We make him into Superman. Outside of Josh Allen, you're as good as your coach, your coordinator and your supporting cast. I love Drake May you think he's in a Super bowl if he goes to the Jets. I love Sam Darnold. You think he's here if he goes to Cleveland. Now we've already seen him with the Jets. Here's Jimmy Johnson on Darnold, the Ascension and what we know about him now. He doesn't have to carry that team on his shoulders at Carolina. He had to carry that football team. He couldn't do it because he turned it over. Now he knows he's got a great defense. He knows that he can be patient, take his time, take the check downs, you know, throw it here every now and then take a shot, you know, down the field. So I think the experience that he had and the team that he's with and the coaching that he's getting allowed him to be a great player. But I don't think it's crazy to say that Sam Darnold hoists a trophy. You got to put him in the top 10. If you think I'm wrong, consider this. The Vikings were 7 and 10 before he arrived. 14 and 3 during and mediocre again this year at 9 and 8. The Seahawks had no playoff wins for eight years. Darnold arrives with the second youngest roster. They're in a Super Bowl. They had a middle of the pack offense. It's now top three. I can give you his last two teams kind of average or below average before he gets there. Not great offensively before he gets there. Amazing. Winnie's there. Seems like to me hoisting a trophy in about 10, 12 days. Have to reconsider where we put them. J. Mac, Jesse Minter stopping by and Greg Cosell there, you talked about this yesterday. You hinted on the Giannis deal, which is becoming a massive deal. And you know in this coaching search there is one crazy story going on in Philadelphia.

[Jesse Minter]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Where they can't find, they cannot find a coordinator.

[J. Mac]

Well, you know, I think we talked about it. Who wants to work for Sirianni when that guy's going to be on the hot seat all season? I know you want to make it about Jalen Hurts. I'm very excited to hear that because you know, Jalen Hurts. Last year Colin won the super bowl, was a Super Bowl MVP. I don't recall hearing any top 10 chatter out of you after Hertz last year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you can't see over the middle of the field. There is an issue. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben. MA would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey asking what in God's name is the fifth Hour? I'll tell you, it's a spin off of the Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights on fsr. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in media, sports and more every week. Explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Colin Coward from the Herd. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or thinking about getting started, you'll definitely want to check out season four of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Inuit QuickBooks. Mind the Business is part entertainment, part instruction manual, part inspiration. Each episode features practical tips and success stories that will resonate with entrepreneurs in any industry. In their latest season, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Jenise Torres are covering topics on the forefront of running a small business. They're talking to self starters about everything from how AI helps them work smarter to weathering market uncertainties and enjoying the benefits of being your own boss and using Inuit QuickBooks to help you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Two Truths and a Lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars. And I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T Mobile Builder Local Verizon store today Get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. You're now entering the no Bull Zone sponsored by Credible Great Rates none of the Bull There's a headline by Adam Schefter today. Nick Sariano in the Eagles have a backup plan if they can't find an offensive coordinator worthy of the job. So this is the downside to having a hyper aggressive general manager. Howie Roseman. Why would you move your family cross country? You could get whacked in a year. I mean, when you're an OC for the Eagles, you either get a great head coaching opportunity or you get fired. Most of these guys are married with kids. You want to pull your kids out of school, you want to move them cross country to Philadelphia, a market you don't know. Get ripped. I mean it's like being a political candidate in a in a major city. Get ripped every day on radio. Family goes through that kind of stuff. So that's the downside to Howie Roseman. I mean you could be a one year nine month coordinator. The second thing is, you know, Nick Ceriani is one of those rare haired coaches with a winning record but not necessarily a winning reputation. Is that when Jim Harbaugh opened up his offensive coordinator job? Everybody in the league calls. You get big, strong, mobile, accurate Justin Herbert and you get Jim Harbaugh. Philadelphia, which makes a habit of winning Super Bowls and winning playoff games. Even if Nick Foles is your quarterback, they can't find one. Mike McDaniel was the number one offensive coordinator candidate. Harbaugh took the job because of Herbert. Mike McDaniel took the job because of Herbert and Harbaugh and the Eagles can't find a coordinator. And I think a lot of it is people don't necessarily trust Nick Ceriani to get out of this mess. You have A.J. brown drama. You know, Herbert's issues. Last year, he needs healthy offensive tackles. Jalen hurts issues the last couple years, he can't see the middle of the field. There is a sense that some of his issues are not correctable. So offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles is one of those. Sounds great jobs, but, you know, do you want to move your family cross country to a market you don't know to probably the hardest job in football. I mean, again, offensive coordinators, the good one in this league, you know, they're kind of 34, 35, 36 defensive guys. Vic Fangio, there are defensive coordinators that are older guys. A lot of the top ocs, you know, your Clint Kubiax, Kyle Shanahan several years ago, they're the young guys, right? That Rams coach is interviewed in Cleveland for a while. They're like kids. So I think it's a high intensity, high pressure, little payoff. And by the way, if they do win, Sirianni gets the credit. You don't get it. Here is Nick Sirianni talking about them not landing an OC still. Yet as the head coach, you always have to be oversight of everything. And again this year, obviously I did. I got involved more in the offense as the, as the end of the season came because that's what I needed to do as the head football coach there. And so, yeah, again, many different ways to do it. You know, I know that I want to be the head football coach. You know, I think it's best for the football team when I'm the. The head football coach. Well, also, when you did call plays early on, it didn't work. It worked when Shane Steichen arrived and Kellen Moore arrived. So this is an organization that is very coordinator dependent. The Rams aren't. The Niners aren't. Philadelphia is highly coordinator dependent, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Usually when you have an offensive coach, it doesn't matter if the coordinator leaves. I mean, McVeigh's run through him. It doesn't matter. Kevin O', Connell, Zach Taylor, they leave, you're fine. So Philadelphia is in a weird space where they have an offensive coach who usually is dependent on the defensive side to get the coordinator right. He's dependent on the offensive side. J. Mack with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[J. Mac]

This is the Herdline news. All right, let's start with the Raiders, Colin. They are still searching for a head coach and according to a report, yeah, they are going to have a second interview with Seahawks OC Clint Kubiak on Saturday, Kubiak also in the mix for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job. Obviously, he can't be hired until after the super bowl, which complicates matters. So one of these teams is kind of going to get shafted. Cardinals or Raiders?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I mean, the Raiders is a better job.

[J. Mac]

Yes, I would agree with you. I think Kubiak probably picks the Raiders tougher division. But you get Mendoza, you get a lot of cap space.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know if it is a tougher division. I think that it's the two toughest divisions you're either going to face. You know Sean McVay, right? Yeah. Mike McDonald, Kyle Shanahan or Jim Harbaugh. Andy Reid and Sean Payton, those are the two best coach divisions, so. But the difference is the Raiders if Colton Miller comes back at left tackle. Brock Bowers, Ashton Genty, remember last year with Spytech, the new, the new gm, they had a boatload of picks and I think they really liked some of their defensive picks. So you're going to add Mendoza and remember, they've got multiple picks at the top of rounds. They can move back and accumulate more picks. I actually think that if you're giving me, I've told you before, Harbaugh is the best hire. I do think Jesse Minter, Robert Sala and Stefanski eventually work where they land. This feels pretty promising to me. This, this, this would give me a passing grade. There's a couple I don't like. This feels pretty solid to me.

[J. Mac]

I would agree. You do need to see multiple years of success before you. You know, Robert Salah, we've seen him. He's. I mean, this guy's been awesome for like five years. Kubiak, I mean, he was very good this year. Not taking anything away. Offense looked good. Sam Darnold looked like, you know, your guy. Sam Darnold looked like a stud top 10 quarterback thanks to Kubiak. So overall, hopefully the Raiders get him. All right, Colin, this next story is a little troubling. I, I need you to, you know, control your emotions here. But there's a rift between Bo Nix and Sean Payton. Yeah, this is not good. And Denver fans are panicking. So earlier this week, Sean Payton talked about the Bo Knicks injury that he suffered at the end of the Bills game and said the injury was predisposed and it was just a matter of if not when. That's, that's very weird wording for your quarterback in an injury. So then yesterday, Bo Nix, and it seems like he specifically was upset and let everybody know, hey, I want to talk about the injury. And here's Bo Nix talking to the media, downplaying his injury.

[Jesse Minter]

Nothing predisposed. Nothing that was there originally. I might have gotten confused, but, you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Know, it's just a simple step with my.

[Jesse Minter]

My foot up in the air. My body weight came down on it. Have any predisposed issues? Man, my ankles were feeling really good. I don't think he really should share how many surgeries I've had in the past, to be honest with you, but.

[Colin Cowherd]

Because I don't.

[Jesse Minter]

You know, he doesn't really even know that. But I think it's gonna be good.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, to get back, get to.

[Jesse Minter]

Work, start from ground zero.

[Colin Cowherd]

Do you think that's a riff?

[J. Mac]

Well, I mean, Bo Nix came out and said, I don't think he should be sharing how many surgeries I've had. And he specifically contradicted words that Peyton used. Predisposed. Not a matter of if, not when. I mean, Peyton's making him sound like a fragile quarterback who's had a billion injuries, and Bo Nix is like, that's not me. Now some Broncos fans are looking back to, like, well, in high school, Bo Nix had this, and in college at Auburn, he had a very bizarre situation. It could just be, you know, Peyton is. Is a dry humor kind of guy. Well, maybe he was trying to be. I don't know.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think every disagreement is a rift. I don't. My take is. I try to stay out of guessing surgeries because I don't think people have any idea. I mean, Travis Kelce said last year, I've had 10 surgeries. I thought he had one. I mean, Mark Slorth had 30. That's what Mark Slura said. I think a lot of these NFL guys, especially now, get cleaned up in the off season. So I. I think Sean Payton probably, you know, they always say there. There are certain industries, you know, you. You. You know, don't talk about guys, injuries. Basically. It's. First of all, it's incredibly personal. I mean, there's HIPAA laws in some businesses. The other thing is I think people get cleaned up all the time. And I. I don't even like. And I've told you this. One of the things. There's two things about the NFL that I would get rid of preseason. College doesn't have one in their kids. You don't need preseason. I think it's just bad optics. I think it's another chance for people to get hurt. I would get rid of preseason. I've said that forever. The other thing Is I wouldn't announce the injuries of players. I worry a great deal. If you know somebody's got a bad knee, then an outside linebacker is going for your knee. I don't think that stuff should be published. I don't want my coach talking about any of the injuries on the team.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, the injury reports are huge for fantasy and gambling, which are major driving factors in the NFL. I mean, you take those away and it's like not great. So you got to keep the injury reports. I just. I'm with you though. I agree. You don't need to talk about how many surgeries the guy's had or if he was predisposed for anything. Now there are seven months before or eight months before starting.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, he played 61 college games of being tackled and he's now in his second year. I would be shocked, shocked if Bo Nicks hadn't had two surgeries. I mean, go back to his first high school snap until today. He's a professional and high end college player. If he didn't have a couple of, you know, a surgery or two, I would be shocked. And I think, you know, over the course of time, I mean Peyton Manning had several. I didn't know about him. I knew about one. So I think the average NFL player, I think the average baseball player is getting stuff cleaned up in off seasons. Once you get to like 28, 29. The wear and tear pro athletes have on their body, the travel, the intensity, the workouts, these guys don't take time off anymore.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. And remember Bo Nicks played literally every snap of the last two seasons. Stidham only came down for kneel downs. Yeah, he didn't come in and throw the ball. So just a weird look.

[Colin Cowherd]

I went and looked at his career. I do not see Bo Nix as an. I think I defend Lamar Jackson Burrow has an injury history. You could argue Joe Burrows injury prone. I could argue that with Brock Purdy. You can't argue that with Bo Nix. I went back and looked at his college when this came out four or five days ago. Bo Nix is a baller, gets hit. He's athletic, is faster and more athletic than ever. I don't think injuries are apart. I've never even thought that with Bo Nix and I've thought that with a lot of quarterbacks that I like.

[J. Mac]

All right, final story. Let's go to the NBA. Last night, LeBron returned to Cleveland for perhaps the final time in his career. Yeah, the Lakers lost, but nobody cares about that. In a moment before the game, there was A video Tribute to LeBron.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

And Colin, he got, like, emotional. Yeah, it was actually pretty cool.

[Jesse Minter]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

You know, listen, I love, you know, I'm a big LeBron guy. I think he's a great athlete. Everything he stands for, just the way watching him get emotional during this tribute, I think it's over. I think this is going to be his final year unless he takes a big pay cut. And do you see LeBron taking a big pay cut?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think it's. I think it's harder than you think. I think when I went and watched him the other night in Chicago, he bullied his way to 20 points, and he could do that for the next several years. He is so much bigger and stronger than guards and forwards in this league in almost all centers. And I mean, it's. It's. You know, I. Listen, he has been. I know he's polarizing, but by and large, it's. It's. I mean, it's probably his last game in Cleveland.

[J. Mac]

Wait, how's he polarized?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

What did LeBron do to be polarized? I mean, he's just a great, phenomenal athlete.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you. If you ever mentioned politics, there was. I mean, come on. It's. It's. He's also been a little bit, I would say a little thirsty on social media through the years. A little thirsty. But, you know, again, I think he's the. I think he does more things well than any basketball player I've ever seen. And I've been watching the league since 1972. 73. I think. I think he does more things well. I think Jordan was a more ferocious offensive player. I think Jokic is maybe the most versatile guy beyond LeBron I've ever seen. I. But there's. I don't. Magic Johnson didn't play that level of defense, did not have that physicality, and Magic is great. So I think. I mean, it's. Listen, when I went to the Bulls game, he was the most popular guy in the arena, and it wasn't really that close. He still commands an audience. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd. Lie news. Speaking of that. So about three years ago, if you're thinking of trading somebody in the NBA, you're always better to do it quickly and quietly the longer you wait, especially for big men, you can get in trouble because big men get hurt early and often. So, according to a story, Giannis from the Bucks is ready to be dealt, and the Bucks are now ready to listen to offers. So we've been on this for three years and Milwaukee fans are calling clickbait. Okay, he's now 31 with several injuries. That's the first thing. Number two is he can't shoot. And two years ago, maybe three, the league has gone all in on three pointers. There's 100 three pointers shot in multiple games now. It wasn't like that 34 years ago. Also, the NBA has become much less transactional because of multiple aprons and prohibitive factors to making trades than it was three years ago. So, you know, it's like asking for a, you know, a 2018 tax deduction on your 2026 taxes. That puppy doesn't exist anymore. So I thought a 27, 28 year old Giannis before the league just became all threes and it was moving in that direction three years ago. I think with the new aprons, the prohibitive factors, you're still going to be able to sell him. Because the Knicks, because they changed coaches and they've struggled. I think James Dolan would pull the trigger on a move because he's getting hammered for the coaching tibs to Mike Brown move. And I think the warriors, desperate to finish off the great Steph Curry's career also would give up a ton of but he's having multiple calf strains. He doesn't shoot in a three and D league. He is also hyper athletic and you know, and I know how hyper athletic guys age. KD could play for nine more years. He's a catch and shoot guy. The other thing, what's happened in the NBA and I think there's now so much data on it, who are the four best bigs in the league? Embiid, Wemby, Giannis, Jokic. You got about 40 years of service and two titles. The NBA does not go through big men anymore. Think about how dominant Jokic is. They got one ring, so I think they're going to end up doing fine in Milwaukee. I think they would have done much better two years ago. And the other thing is I can like a player, but cultures change. How valuable is he now? You say to yourself, well, he's still great three years in a row. First round exits in the east. The east is bad. I mean the east outside of Detroit, I mean the Celtics without Tatum aren't the same team in the east three years in a row bounced. So in the west, what does that even mean? Is that, is that making the playoffs in the West? So I mean, I will say this. Oklahoma City is a small market, but Sam Presti takes big swings. He Sees around Cornerstone. They operate like a big market team. Oklahoma City plays much bigger than the market size. Milwaukee feels like a small market, terrified to lose their guy, terrified to lose their star. So I think they've waited a long time. Miami's interested. Golden State is interested. The Knicks are interested. I don't believe at this point Giannis gets you titles. I think he'll make the warriors better. I think he's better than Cat for the Knicks. He may actually. New York's probably the best place because Brunson is a very ball centric player who can hit from the outside. Giannis won't need the ball quite as much. He'll take care of the interior work and Giannis is a much, much better defender. Brunson's not a good defender. He's a great, great leader. He's a great scorer. He's a great finisher. I love Brunson, My, my favorite Nick next to Ewing, you know, in year. I love Brunson, but he's a liability on the defensive end. So is Cat. You can pick and roll those guys to death. So Giannis in New York makes a ton of sense. Golden State, what do the warriors have that I want? I'm not sure. You know, he keeps telling me on Jonathan Kaminga, the Warriors can't get rid of him fast enough. So I don't know what you have. The Cleveland Browns have a new coach. Jesse mentor is the Ravens new guy. This feels like to me one of the jobs that works. I think Sala and Brian Dabel in Tennessee is really, really good. Harbaugh, obviously, I don't know if he wins immediately. Kevin Stefanski in Atlanta feels like it's going to work. Jesse Minter going back to the organization that he succeeded at. It feels like it works to me. And he's next. The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9:00am Pacific. Well, I think. I don't. I can't speak for women, but I can. I can speak for guys that most of us have role models in our life. It could be your father. When I was a young broadcaster, I wanted to be Bob Costas or Al Michaels. And our next guest is a young guy who has worked with Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh and Mike McDonald. And there's a lot of people to glean information from. His name is Jesse Mentor and he turned the Chargers defense around in about 40 minutes. He is the new coach of the Baltimore Ravens. And first of all, congratulations. That's a pretty good gig. I'VE said this before, Jesse, I think the Ravens, there's an argument it is the best run organization in the NFL. So you got yourself one heck of a job. If I said to you, Jesse, I'd never seen a Jim Harbaugh team. And I said, jesse, I've never, I've heard about this guy. What is the one guiding principle that you take from Jim Harbaugh and go, man, Jim Harbaugh does this exceptionally well?

[Jesse Minter]

Yeah, I think Jim empowers the players really well to create an identity of team football. And so, you know, he kind of allows the players to be themselves. But there's this understanding that we're all after the same thing, we all have the same goals, and so we're willing to kind of put some things aside sometimes and play as a team and do things like that. I think that's definitely the one identity that I'll certainly try to take from Jim.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, John Harbaugh, they're similar, but they're also in some ways dissimilar. Is there something from John Harbaugh that was different than that, that you appreciated?

[Jesse Minter]

You know, I think John, when I first got here, maybe different because I was in a different role, but he really empowered a lot of the, A lot of the coaching staff and even younger guys on the staff like I was when I first got here. And so there was just an ability to grow, an ability to be forward thinking, an ability to be creative amongst the staff. And I really look forward to kind of being that type of head coach where you're really. You're always trying to find better ways to do things. You're always looking for the next. The next great thing and research and studying and doing things like that. So learned a lot about John of just empowering the staff to always really be trying to find that next great, next great idea.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it's interesting as a defensive guy, I've said for years, I've said, listen, if I have a choice, I want my coach to be young and preferably offense. But I've also acknowledged that d' Amico Ryan's is great. We heard, I heard that in San Francisco when he was quality control guy. They're like, this guy is going to be a stud. We heard it about you. We heard it about Mike McDonald's. How do you, as a defensive guy, come into the operation in an offensive league where the rules all favor the offense? How do you build the toughness on that defense and the culture knowing that it's now mostly, it feels like a little bit of an offensive league.

[Jesse Minter]

Yeah, I would, I would just say look at the two teams still playing right now and sort of how they operate. When you look at, when you look at how Seattle's built and how they're playing, when you look at New England and how they're playing, I think it's teams that play great defense. It's how you train, it's how you, how you, the processes that you create to be really good and the standards that you create. I feel like we kind of did that defensively in LA the last couple of years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jesse Minter]

And so it's about creating beliefs and goals, what you're trying to achieve, and then most importantly creating standards of how you operate that match those goals of what you're trying to achieve. And I still think defense wins championships. I do, I do agree with you that at times it feels like an offensive league, but I think when you have, when you have great players on offense like we have and now you can match that with hopefully a, the best defense in the NFL, I think we can do some special things.

[Colin Cowherd]

The, I mean, you turn the Chargers around immediately. So Lamar Jackson is an all time talent. When you have a guy like a Josh Allen, listen, Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams, Drake May, where you're like, okay, these guys can do a lot. They can go scripted, they can go off platform, they can go off script. What is the balance with Lamar, to let Lamar be Lamar but play within a structure you're comfortable with.

[Jesse Minter]

Yeah, I think that's a great point. I think you want the structured plays to work really well and to be really an offense that he feels great about and that he feels like he's thriving in and that you're making plays comfortable for him, stuff that he's really good at. And then I think those unstructured plays, I mean that's where, that's where he's the best in the world. That's where he's, his instincts are able to take over. He's able to make throws, runs, everything, every which way. But I really think it's the structure plays that we need to, we need to really make sure are tight and really make sure there's things that he's familiar with and really good at and willing to grow with. And I know he's super excited about where, where we're headed on offense and I look forward to seeing him thrive on our offense.

[Colin Cowherd]

Whether you play a team or not during a season, you see a lot of teams on film like the Seahawks and the Patriots. So when, when you look at our super Bowl. All the film you've looked at this year, whether you play a team or you see them playing somebody else, you see film of 32. You. You see film that everybody. Are you shocked the Seahawks and the Patriots got here? If not, why?

[Jesse Minter]

I'm not shocked. Seattle. You know, Mike's a dear friend of mine. I kind of know his mentality and how he's built that team. Took over a lot of really good young defensive players that are now, you know, growing up and in their second year. And so they have great talent on that side of the ball. They made. They made a, you know, organizational decision with Sam Darnold that's paid off for them and the type of offense that they're running. So not surprised at all. And then, same thing with New England, tons of respect for Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels. Getting him back as the offensive coordinator, I think, was a huge, huge development for Drake as a young player. We played them in the first round.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Jesse Minter]

And so no surprise, no surprise that those two teams are playing. I think it'll be a heck of a matchup for the fans to watch.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. It's a big boy job. This is a. This is a, to me, a blue blood gold Standard. San Francisco 49ers, Eagles, Ravens. This. This excellence. I mean, John Harbaugh was a great coach, and they moved on. It is a. It is a. How do you set that culture day one? How do you come in, by the way? Because the last guy was good. You're. You're. This thing's not bottomed out. You have a roster that could win a Super bowl next year. How do you. How does Jesse mentor set the culture tomorrow?

[Jesse Minter]

I think. I think there's a couple things. One, like, knowing that there's a really good foundation and especially myself, having been here, knowing sort of how that was built is a. Is a major positive. And then I have, you know, my own style and in my own way, I think we need to become a really connected team. I think we need to play football in a style that people are proud of and excited of on all three phases of the game. And so I think we're going to create an identity of. Of a really well connected team that's tough and physical, but also that's very innovative. We want to be really forward thinking schematically in all three phases, and I think there's going to be a lot of excitement when the guys come back and really feel like we're headed in the right direction.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jesse Good luck to you. Everybody I know speaks very highly of you. It's a gold standard organization. And good luck going forward.

[Jesse Minter]

Appreciate you. Thanks for having me on.

[Colin Cowherd]

You bet. Jesse Minter, he turned that Chargers defense around in like an hour. Like so. There are four. I think Harbaugh is going to crush it with the Giants. They're going to be a playoff team next year. I really like Jesse in Baltimore, Robert Sala in Tennessee. I'm not sure the quarterback situation in Atlanta with Stefanski. I love the hire. Arthur Blank is dependable. It's not a chaotic organization. They've got tremendous skill people. So we're still waiting for the Raiders and the Cardinals. Clint Kubiak sounds like he's getting the Raiders job. I like that hire with a, with a team that's got some really, really nice offensive talent. They'll get Fernando Mendoza with the number one pick. Arizona is a bit of a, it's a bit of a shipwreck right now. I don't know what they're doing that or that or. And by the way, Raiders, Cardinals, those divisions are tough, but not all fourth place teams are equal. The Raiders are getting easily the best quarterback in college this year. And you can nitpick Fernando Mendoza, the kid is absolutely fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. So if I was a Raider fan, Clint Kubiak, to me, I mean, honestly, if Clint Kubiak may have been outside of John Harbaugh and maybe Sean McDermott, Glenn Kubiak could be a perfect fit there. He really could also remember, Clint Kubiak has flourished in Seattle, which is a really, really young team. Well, the Raiders, Mendoza is going to be a rookie. Brock Bowers, Ashton Genti, they've got a right tackle who moved inside. I think he's in year two. And they're going to attack their wide receiver. Last year they had a rookie wide receiver. The Raiders offense is young. Clint Kubiak, Seattle's offense, mostly young. I think it's a good fit. I hope Seattle and Sam Darnold can replace him. But J. Mac, Jesse Minner, to me, feels like it'll work. I don't know.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, definite home run. Higher. Interesting. There's some stuff online about how, hey, 53% of the league is African American and in this cycle we have had like only white guys hired as head coaches. I don't know how the league deals with something like that. You know, obviously Robert Salah has a mixed background, but like it's just a weird, weird to see that be like a storyline here when you got some pretty, some good hires a couple questionable ones in there. I'm not going to call out.

[Colin Cowherd]

I have no idea how Jeff Halfley's going to do in Miami. Yeah I mean Joe Brady may not be as good as Jeff Halfley but he'd win more games because he has job I don't know what Jeff Halfley is going to do as a head coach. I don't Todd Monk and to me feels eh Joe Brady feels like comfortable. I think Mike McCarthy will probably win games. It's. It's a little flat. It doesn't feel inspiring and maybe I'm out of my mind but I think Robert Saleh and Brian Dabel that is about as good a Tennessee could do. I think if you'd have hired though again outside of John Harbaugh I think those guys are going to crush it in Tennessee. Tons of cap space. I like Cam Ward, Jeffrey Simmons maybe the best defensive lineman in the league and that division is. You can win a lot of games in that division.

[J. Mac]

I also think the Stefanski pairing offensive coach with offense that's got B John Robinson Drake London Yes I think you know Michael Penix needs to take the next step obviously I know there's a lot of questions about him but I I think you know a lot of good hires obviously some questionable but we we'll see what happens with your Cardinals. They're yours. Remember you were a Kyler Murray guy weren't you guys hanging out at UFC fight or something like that. You and Kyler.

[Colin Cowherd]

I I got nothing against him but that organization right now has got where's.

[J. Mac]

He quarterbacking next year by the way?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's a good I don't know. I really don't know. I not a big market for him. Yeah Greg Cosell's around the corner. What did he see what's going forward New England a four and a half point dog to the Seahawks. This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.