THE HERD - Hour 2 - Getting the right coach for Josh Allen, the future of the Eagles, Dianna Russini

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Hour 2 – Getting the Right Coach for Josh Allen, the Future of the Eagles, Dianna Russini
Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guest: Dianna Russini (The Athletic Senior NFL Insider)

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Overview

This episode dives deeply into the latest NFL coaching carousel, the unique needs of franchise quarterbacks like Josh Allen, the direction of prominent organizations (Bills, Eagles, Giants, Steelers, Raiders, Ravens), and the intertwining drama around star players including A.J. Brown. Featuring insider insights from Dianna Russini, the discussion blends analysis with Colin’s signature direct style while mixing in commentary about broader sports issues, including the NBA and MLB.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the NBA & Sports Branding

• [00:30 – 03:49] Colin opens by comparing the NBA’s player-driven marketing to the NFL’s team-based appeal, criticizing the NBA’s lack of transition to new stars.
  • Quote (Colin, 01:20): “The NBA is so player-driven that your ratings and the interest…you’re going to have major dips based on the popularity of your player.”
  • The longevity of Steph Curry’s jersey sales is used as evidence of the NBA’s struggle to shift fan interest to the next generation.
  • NFL & MLB Contrast: “People love the Dodgers, not just Ohtani. People love the Yankees, not just Aaron Judge.” (Colin, 02:55)

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2. Buffalo Bills' Coaching Change & Josh Allen’s Influence

• [03:49 – 05:51] Dianna Russini provides inside context on Sean McDermott’s firing:

  • Ownership didn't become frustrated until late in the season; by week 17, change was looming if the team exited early from playoffs.
  • Quote (Dianna, 04:12): “They were sick of the eight years with Josh Allen and just not getting over the hump...”
  • The push for a “new breath of fresh air” parallels trends in other organizations.

• Josh Allen’s Influence on Next Coach

  • [05:04 – 05:51] Josh Allen will have significant input on the next hire.
  • “Josh Allen is the team. His influence here is going to be important.” (Dianna, 05:13)
  • Expectation: Offensive-minded coach likely; organization is impatient—wants Super Bowl contention immediately.

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3. Coaching Carousel: Candidates and Market Realities

Bill Belichick Speculation in Buffalo

• [05:51 – 06:35]
  • Dianna clarifies Belichick is not in consideration: “Bill doesn’t have a market in the NFL.”
  • Belichick’s camp is planning for a non-coaching life; no serious suitors in current or previous cycle.

Notable Coaching Openings

• [07:11 – 13:35]
  • Giants: The John Harbaugh hire is seen as a coup; “an adult in the building” and instant accountability. “[He] brings vision, focus…an adult in the building.” (Dianna, 07:40)
  • Steelers: Unaccustomed to coaching searches; may go with familiar, comfortable choices. Anthony Weaver (Dolphins DC, Ravens ties) is a strong name.
    • “They're going to go with what they know…” (Dianna, 09:10)
  • Raiders: Cautious optimism around rookie QB Fernando Mendoza; job less attractive due to instability and Max Crosby’s uncertain future. Tom Brady heavily involved in decisions.
    • “It's been a place to die over the last few years…” (Dianna, 11:57)
  • Ravens: Jessie Minter and offensive coordinator hiring is crucial. Lamar Jackson and receivers support the idea of Cliff Kingsbury as OC.
    • “Who is going to coach Lamar Jackson? That's all that matters…” (Dianna, 13:35)

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4. Future of A.J. Brown and Eagles Roster Dynamics

• [14:54 – 16:45]
  • Colin considers A.J. Brown a prime trade target, possibly for the Bills or Chiefs.
  • Dianna confirms Brown’s unhappiness dates back a season, but Jalen Hurts is foundational—“You're picking the quarterback. That's just how it works.” (Dianna, 15:25)
  • Prediction: Likely Brown is not an Eagle next year.

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5. Roster Building Philosophy & Team Culture

• [38:51 – 42:29]
  • Success is less about individual draft picks and more about building a culture where the players fit the system.
  • “You have a culture. You're drafting employees who fit perfectly into their plan.” (Colin, 41:00)
  • Ramsey's undrafted and late-round success is cited as model franchise management.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [04:12] Dianna Russini:
  “They were sick of the eight years with Josh Allen and just not getting over the hump. And I really, truly don’t think it was lack of respect or belief in Sean McDermott. It's just...if a coach has not won within the first 10 years...it’s tough.”

• [05:13] Dianna Russini:
  “Josh Allen is the team. And I do think his influence here is going to be important.”

• [05:59] Dianna Russini (On Belichick to Buffalo):
  “Nothing. Bill doesn’t have a market in the NFL.”

• [09:10] Dianna Russini (On Steelers' coaching search):
  “They're going to go with what they know. And look what they did with Mike Tomlin...they took a shot on him and it worked pretty darn well.”

• [13:35] Dianna Russini (On Ravens' OC search):
  “Who is going to coach Lamar Jackson? That’s all that matters in Baltimore right now...Lamar Jackson and those receivers would like Cliff Kingsbury to run their offense.”

• [15:25] Dianna Russini (On Eagles choosing between Hurts and Brown):
  "You're picking A.J. Brown or you're picking Jalen Hurts. Who you picking? You're picking the quarterback. That's just how it works."

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Additional Segments

Rams-Seahawks Playoff Preview

• [22:56 – 26:29]
  Matt Stafford discusses the challenge of playing in Seattle, with Colin and J. Mac breaking down the matchup, highlighting Rams’ strong execution versus Seattle in past meetings.

Raiders-Lamar Jackson Trade Rumors

• [27:12 – 29:47]
  Speculation on Raiders' interest in trading the #1 draft pick for Lamar Jackson. Both hosts skeptical due to cap hit and the importance of value with rookie contracts.
  • “The way to win Super Bowls mostly is get a really, really super talented guy on a rookie deal…” (Colin, 28:41)

Golden State Warriors & NBA Player Market

• [30:41 – 33:45]
  Trade request drama around Jonathan Kuminga. Colin criticizes the inability to extract value from players like Kuminga, contrasting meaningful contribution versus empty stat lines.

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Closing Thoughts

• The coaching carousel is spinning with high stakes for teams needing franchise-defining hires—Buffalo and Baltimore in particular.
• Star quarterbacks (Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson) and their buy-in or happiness are increasingly crucial to organizational decision-making.
• A.J. Brown's situation may reshape Philadelphia and shift league power.
• The best teams (Rams, Seahawks, Patriots) elevate mid/late-round picks by leveraging culture and system fit.
• Bold team-building and a focus on culture—rather than just individual star power—are essential for lasting success, a theme echoed throughout Cowherd's analysis.

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Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[B]

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. 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.

[C]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[B]

Here we go, hour two. We're live. It's the herd. Man, is there a storm coming? Hold on, Nashville. Wow. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. A lot of NFL talk. I saw this this morning. The Steph Curry Year 17 still leads the NBA in jersey sales. They just don't know how to turn the page. Warriors aren't even good. It feels like a to me, it's like the, the Marvel universe where a bunch of years ago they did end game and they're like, well, that's the end of it, aren't they? Releasing doomsday. They, they can't, they can't figure out how to turn the page. In the marvel universe, the NBA's got too many players nobody cares about. The regular season's irrelevant. Star players don't even want to play. Too repetitive, too many three pointers. And I'll tell you the problem with the NBA because all the ratings are exploding. People can say, well, the NBA ratings, they went from cable to broadcast. Of course the ratings is that when you're a player led league, you're going to have major dips based on the popularity of your player. When Michael Jordan Left, they lost 50% of their ratings. In the NFL you don't have big dips because people love the packers, not just Jordan. Love, they love the Niners, not just George Kittle. They love the Eagles, not just Jalen Hurts or Lane Johnson, but in the NBA, it's all about the player. Pander to the player. It's all about the player. Take care of the player. It's not about the franchise. So and that that's why the NBA has these massive dips in interest is and the NFL doesn't for a lot of reasons. You can bet on both. They're both pretty good on tv but well, there's a lot more NFL games than there are a lot more NBA games than there are NFL. Well, there's double the baseball regular season games as the NBA games and baseball's ratings are on fire. And they didn't just go cable to Broadcast. Why? Because people love the Dodgers, not just Ohtani. People love the Yankees, not just Aaron Judge. They love the Cubs, not just the players. The NBA is so player driven that your ratings and the interest, I mean, if Steph is still leading in year 17 in jersey sales, Tom Brady's last year, he wasn't anywhere near the top seven or eight in jersey sales. And he was the goat. He was the Jordan of the sport. Number one, I think, was Josh Allen. Micah Parsons was way up there in Toms last year. Mahomes was up there. Joe Burrow, I think was three or four. Because the NFL is not dependent on you liking the player. It's about the team and the franchise. Baseball does a good job, too. You love the Cubs. It's great when the Cubs get good players, but you love the Cubs. First Diana Rossini with that is now joining us live. Man, there's a lot going on. The Athletic Senior NFL Insider. So there's a bunch of different stories out there. One by Vic Carrucci, who's been in Buffalo forever, about Sean McDermott telling the owner and the GM, Hey, I don't love the personnel. I mean, was the firing of Sean McDermott completely unexpected or had you heard for five or six or seven weeks it was tense. What do we know today?

[D]

Yeah, I don't think ownership was as irritable or frustrated with it until the end of the season or at least towards the end of the season. That is when word started to get out, probably like week 17. It was starting to get around. Keep an eye on buffalo. If they're one and done, look for McDermott to be out. And so then obviously when they won.

[A]

Right.

[D]

It died down a bit. And then Saturday night is when the conversation started again. And at the Athletic, we actually already wrote a piece that Sean McDermott was getting fired because at that point I'd found out that that ownership was really. They were done with it. They were sick of the eight years with Josh Allen and just not getting over the hump. And I really, truly don't think it was lack of respect or belief in Sean McDermott. It's just when you look at it historically, if a coach has not won within the first 10 years of him being a head coach, it's tough.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

And some of these owners just think a change, something new. On top of the fact you're watching a lot of these organizations with this new breath of fresh air. These new guys come in. Obviously, we're seeing in Chicago, we saw in Jacksonville, see in Boston, you see these guys come in and change the entire team. And I think that's what's tempting.

[B]

Will Josh Allen have any say in the next coach, Dana?

[D]

He absolutely will. They're going to have. Wouldn't you?

[B]

Right.

[D]

Like, Josh Allen is the team. And I do think his influence here is going to be important. And I think his overall comfort with who this head coach is going to be is going to be a big factor in this, which is why I do think they'll get to wind up leaning towards more offensive minded type coaches. Because, look, they made a move because they know the window is going to just get, you know, tighter and tighter here. And that's why they moved on from Sean. So patience is already not something that they have. And they're gonna, they're gonna want a coach to come in here. I think they're gonna lean more towards someone who's done it and get this thing going because they're gonna want to be in the super bowl next year.

[B]

Okay, what do you make of the reports or suggestions? What are you hearing about Bill Belichick in Buffalo?

[D]

Nothing. Bill doesn't have a market in the NFL, you know, so I think, look, he has been. His people, including Coach Belichick, have been very open with people, media, with people in football. They want to stay in North Carolina. So I think he obviously has information. You're not doing that unless, you know, you don't have a shot. And I have yet to have a conversation in this coaching cycle, even last one of anyone who seriously was considering bringing Dylan. I didn't mean to come off mean, by the way. That was just more of like the facts, you know?

[B]

Well, sometimes Bill was mean. I mean, it's not the end of the world.

[A]

Oh, Bill's.

[D]

Bill's real mean. Bill was. I've had some tough press conferences, let me tell you. I remember sitting there, I was young, I. My shirt was soaked. I was so afraid. I asked him if he ever considered trading Jimmy.

[B]

No.

[D]

If he regretted trading Jimmy Garoppolo after that practice. Remember when Tom jammed his finger helmet, like, cut his finger? And that was the question I asked in that post practice. And it was, it was, it was memorable. It was awful.

[B]

I love John Harbaugh. The Harbaughs are so. They get. They love football so much, they can't even hide it. They're like kids. They're like kids. I gotta tell you something. I've been critical of the Giants for a long time. I think they're good now. I think they need a right tackle, a tight end, some Secondary help. Are you surprised? What was the word around the league in your sources when Harbaugh immediately jumped on this opportunity? Did people think it was this good of a job? Because John's like, not. No hesitation. He wanted that job.

[D]

Yeah. And a lot of candidates felt the same way about this Giants roster. This was one of the golden ones. Just based on some of these players and obviously the history, the ownership. Look, they haven't won in a while. We know it hasn't been great with Joe Shane at the helm, but ownership has always been really fair to their head coaches. And while they're involved, they're not hands on telling you what to do. They're just going to listen and trust you. And that's valuable. It was all about ownership and quarterback this cycle, and it continues to be as we have these openings. So John, I think, brings accountability. He's going to bring vision, focus, and really an adult in the building. That is what someone there said to me. Like, that is what they're going to get in New York. Yes, we joke that he's a little bit of a football labradoodle, but he also knows what he's doing. And I think the New York Giants are very excited to hand him the keys.

[B]

Yeah, I would be excited. I think they're close. Okay. The Steelers, we joked earlier, like, they feel like, you know, guys married for 35 years, then all of a sudden he's single and he doesn't know. He thinks apps are like appetizers at Chili's. He doesn't know what dating apps are. They don't look for coaches. They don't know what they're doing. They don't do this ever. And so all of a sudden, the Giants know how to do it. Atlanta knows how to do it. Like, some of these organizations, they're pretty good at the. Let's go. Let's get a coaching search. Pittsburgh doesn't do it. I'm hearing Mike McCarthy and I'm thinking, well, he's a Pittsburgh guy. That's an easy one. Where are the Steelers at?

[D]

I know I made a joke during the Giants Harbaugh situation. Someone had texted me that the Giants were behind on the contract. Like, they weren't getting it done. I'm like, don't they just have a template ready to go? They do this all the time. Like, how hard could it be to do a contract in New York? You're always doing it. Whereas Pittsburgh, you know, they're like looking in old files, like, how do you do this again? And look here, here's what I know from, from, from that ownership especially. They're going to go with what they know. Right. And what they're comfortable doing. And look what they did with my Tomlin. They took a young, you know, black defensive coach with tons of energy and they took a shot on him and it worked pretty darn well. So, yes, I can see them gravitating to. Towards a guy who's done it before because it's comfortable. This isn't a fantastic roster. They don't have a quarterback. This is one of the jobs that I don't believe a lot of these coaches that are hungry to get in or are fighting just because they're not. First of all, you got to fill in for Mike Tomlin. That's tough. But you're not coming in here and winning. And I don't necessarily believe that that's the way the franchise is seeing it. I don't think they think that this they're in rebuild.

[B]

Yep, totally agree.

[D]

So you got to be able to have someone to come in here and be able to communicate like, look, we have a lot of work to do. Anthony Weaver is the name I want you to watch. I. I think he is somebody that both the Baltimore Ravens and remember Anthony Weaver, he's the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

He is a former Raven himself. He's a former coach for the Ravens. John Harbaugh overpassed him to be the D.C. he left Baltimore, went to Miami. That's where he is now. So he is up for the job in Baltimore and he's up for the job in Pittsburgh and I think he's got a really good shot of getting one of these. Buffalo also recently put in for him, so he's going to be meeting with him as well. And doesn't it just make a lot of sense if you're going to go with, hey, this is what we've done before. Young, hungry, culture builder, player guy. But. But of course, you know, he's going to have to try to beat up Brian Flores and Mike McCarthy and also these coaches that are playing this weekend. That's a whole nother layer to this.

[B]

I'm kind of fascinated with the Raiders job because Fernando Mendoza is a franchise quarterback. How great? I don't know, but he's darn. Brock Bowers, Ashton Genti, they got to get their O line fixed. Colton Miller I think is still around off injury. They got to get the old line fixed for Mendoza, but their defense is okay. Brady's on the sideline of the national championship game. Like everybody's watching. I don't know if it's a good job. I know this, that when you get a really talented quarterback in a rookie deal for four or five years, you can stack the roster and that usually Denver with Bo Nix, Drake May, New England, Justin Herbert initially, it's usually a pretty good thing if you get the right coach. Do we know anything on Vegas?

[D]

Yeah. First of all, you got to make sure you hit and we got to hope that, that if the Raiders do decide to go in that direction that he turns out to be the players that you just listed. You never know. Right. So you got that gamble. But look, the Raiders are not one of these jobs that, that I'd put them in the same category. I put the Steelers above them actually in terms of guys that want that job. And I think it has to just do with the fact that it's, it's been a place to die over the last few years. You know, it's been hard to have success. You've got Max Crosby who's disgruntled. What's his future going to be in Vegas? Right. He's the face of that place. If you don't have him, who do you have in that locker room policing and setting the tone of what you want and the expectations? So look, I think that they're leaning more towards offensive side and offensive minded type coaches. Right. So Davis Webb is a name I keep hearing. Obviously he's the Denver Broncos quarterback coach. Are you going to bring in a first time head coach with a brand new quarterback? You know that, that's a, that's a, that's a big challenge. But Tom Brady's running the show there. He is the one having him all the say on what they're going to do next year, which, which I think could, could be a good thing. You know, the jury's out on whether or not he can pick. Right.

[B]

All right.

[D]

AJ so many openings, right. We could go, we could have a whole show on just this because there's so much.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, let me throw this out there. I mean I thought the Ravens were the best job until Buffalo opened up. And I still think the Raven, Steve Machadi is great. Roster's very, very good. O line stable. Lamar Jackson, who, I mean Jesse mentor feels like the play, but I'm not, I'm not hearing about it. What's the Baltimore situation?

[D]

Well, Jesse mentors with them right now actually, so we'll see how that pans out. I'd love to know what his plan is at oc that that's all that matters is all that matters in Baltimore right now. Who is going to coach Lamar Jackson? They. Steve Ashadi was very transparent. They're all in, right? They're all in because they fired John Harbaugh and they're. They want to make this work. They want to get to the super bowl. And this is another organization that's looking at it as a window, right? We got to get the most out of them. So while I understand that you're bringing in the leader of men and that's important that you have the CEO, the plan for OC has to be there, right? So Cliff Kingsbury is a name that's out there. I can tell you. I know for a fact that Lamar Jackson and those receivers would like Cliff Kingsbury to run their offense. They have shown support. They've been vocal about it. They've been part of some of these interviews, too. Lamar Jackson's part of these. He's zooming in. He's. He's in touch with the decision makers of what he likes, who he's liked. And so, you know, we'll see how this shakes out. But I think the, you know, Anthony Weaver is one of those again that I mentioned a few minutes ago that is going to be in the running for this job. And from what I understand, Cliff Kingsbury would be his oc And I think that would be a pretty tremendous fit when you think about what Cliff Kingsbury did with Kyler Murray. Now, now insert Lamar Jackson, one of the best quarterbacks in football.

[B]

All right, finally, A.J. brown. Drama. I've said I would have moved him at the deadline. I think he's great. I think Buffalo should be interested. I think there's all sorts of suitors for him. I think he's. I think he's impossible unless you have big, long, young corners. He's hard to defend. And I. And I think a lot of these guys, I mean, Stefan Diggs, a great example. By year three, he can wear people out, but Stefan Diggs, everywhere he goes for the first couple of years, productive. Everybody likes him. He's great in the room. A.J. brown for a couple years in Buffalo is interesting to me. I think he'd have a market. Do you think Philadelphia will move him?

[D]

I just saw Diggs on Sunday night after the Patriots game. I mean, it's like he's 22 years old now. Yeah, like, he is fresh. He is rejuvenated. He's the leader of that team. He is. He's basically Rabel's little soldier. Like what Rabel tells him to do. He tells the locker room, it works. It's a good. It's a good match, right? Because there. There's a lot of ego there, as you know, and you got to feed that and you got to manage it, and good coaches know how to manage it, and they're. They're all in on the quarterback there in New England. So now let's transfer this over to AJ Brown, and it's pretty obvious he is not happy. He has. Was not happy from really this going back to last year, right. But it's different. They won the Super Bowl. That kind of masks all the problems. So here we are this year. And. And I think it's going to be up to him. I think the bottom line, Philadelphia is not stupid. They're not going to waste their time. They can't go through what they just did. Again, this team has to revamp how they approach this season. And they're not moving on from Jalen Hurts. Right. So you're picking A.J. brown or you're picking Jalen Hurts? Who you picking? You're picking the quarterback. That's just how it works, right? Plus, the owner loves them, so. And he also is the Super Bowl MVP. So I think for A.J. brown, I could easily see Buffalo showing interest. I could see Kansas City showing interest. Imagine him with Patrick Mahomes. So we'll see if they wind up working out a deal to get him out of Philadelphia. But I'd be surprised to see him as an Eagle next year.

[B]

All right, you're crushing. You're just. All the time I see you with stories and crushing and intel and all that stuff.

[D]

No, I like it, but I feel like sometimes when I'm dumping the information, it sounds so robotic, and I don't mean to, but it's just like, you just, like taking all these conversations and all the writing and recording, you're just like, I got to get my best stuff.

[B]

So.

[D]

Yeah, no, it's. It's fun. This is awesome. This has been the wildest coaching cycle I have ever covered. People. Everyone is talk. Everyone wants to talk to you about it right now. Because there's so many moving parts, right? You got Brian Dable up in Buffalo. Tennessee wants him to be the OC Philly wants him to be the OC if he takes one of these jobs and he doesn't go to Philly, who's the OC for the Eagles, that should be a good job, right? It doesn't appear to be. So there's just, like, all these, like, little tentacles to all of this that I just find really interesting.

[B]

Great seeing you as always.

[D]

Great seeing you. Thanks for having me.

[B]

All right. She's awesome. Diana Rossini at the Athletic. Like the hardballs, great energy. Brings it every single time, man, that I'm telling you, some, some years at Fox, we get breaks like the World Series last year. I mean, just like, how lucky did we get? Seahawks, Rams. Oh, my God. I mean, could you have picked division rivals? They played twice. The games are wild. The redemption story of Darnold, to some degree a redemption story with Matt Stafford, although we always knew he was talented. But it was, you know, 12 years in Detroit getting your, you know, helmet beat in. So much good stuff out there.

[C]

One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

[B]

Hey, it's Cavino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio. Now, in addition, hearing us live weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, we're excited to announce a brand new YouTube channel for the show. Yup, that's right. You can now watch Covino ENRICH Live on YouTube every day. All you gotta do, search COVINO and RICH FSR on YouTube again. Go to YouTube. Search COVINOENRICH FSR. Check us out on YouTube. Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

[E]

I'm John Paulk. For years, I was the poster boy of the conversion therapy movement, the ex gay who married an ex lesbian and traveled the world telling my story of how I changed my sexuality from gay to straight. Once upon a time, I was on 60 Minutes, Oprah, the front cover of Newsweek, and you might have heard my story, but you've never, never heard the real story. So join me as I peel back the layers and expose what happened to me in the midst of conversion therapy to shine a light on what the X Game movement does to people and the pain it continues to cause. I had lost £150 because if I couldn't control my sexuality, I was going to control my weight.

[B]

It sounded like, and this is the.

[D]

Word I used, a cult.

[E]

And as I look too at the harm I did from within, listen to atonement, the John Polk story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Oh, I don't know if you guys saw this. Cody Bellinger, World Series champ, MVP, NLCS MVP. Just signed $162 million deal. Five years with the Yankees. Where's the outrage? Oh, My God, Cody Bellinger's just as good a player, if not better than Kyle Tucker. Where's the outrage? There is none. Because you don't think the Yankees are well run. They don't threaten you. The Dodgers have money and they win. The Yankees have money. That's the. That's why this is just ridiculous. Oh, Kyle Tucker signing. Terrible for baseball if ratings and revenue are up and attendance is up. Check, check, check. And the Cubs. Yankees now have signed another pitcher and Cody Bellinger. Good off season for the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers. If the Astros are healthy, they'll contend for a World Series crown. Atlanta's got to stay healthy. They're good. And by the way, Seattle, Cleveland, Milwaukee, all doing very, very well. Small markets. I don't want to hear about Pittsburgh. They're irrelevant. They're billionaire owners. Cheap. I don't care about him, so. But yeah, I said this. I just ran it on this an hour ago. There's a big story that. That Kyle Tucker Dodgers trade of that. That or that move, that acquisition that sent everybody over the top but Cody Bellinger. 162 million, five years, Yankees. That's okay. This guy's an MVP. This guy's an NLCS MVP. He's a world Series champ. He's got a better resume than Kyle Tucker. Why aren't you bothered by it? I think. Am I wrong on this because of deferred payments? I think the Yankees led baseball last year in payroll and they just signed a great pitcher, Weathers and Cody Bellinger. Where's the outrage? This is not a pro LA rant. It's a pro common sense rant. You're bothered because the Dodgers, when they get guys, always come home with a ring. If the Dodgers would have lost Game 7 of the Blue Jays, nobody'd be outraged by Kyle Tucker or very few. It's that they're winning, not just the money. Again, Pujols. Josh Hamilton in Today's dollar, signed 15 years ago almost for 540 million. Nobody cared why it's the Angels. Soto goes to the Mets. Nobody cares why it's the Mets. You just don't like that the Dodgers sign them and then hoist a trophy. That's at the heart of it, as the kids say. Let's keep it 100J Mac with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[C]

This is the herd line news.

[E]

All right.

[A]

I want to go to this Rams Seahawks showdown. Very excited for the rubber match in Seattle this weekend. It's on Fox. And Matt Stafford talked about the task at hand with A Super bowl trip at stake.

[F]

It's a huge challenge to go play in Seattle. We've done it once this year, and what a hell of a game that was. And they got such great players on their team. They're really well coached, I'm sure excited to be in this opportunity and be in this situation to, you know, go see what we're all about. Can we go into their place, arguably the toughest place to play in the league, a team that's played really good football all year and find a way to win it and, you know, continue this journey, because that's what it's about at this point in the year. Can we find a way to work together for another week and, you know, we have the opportunity now, and it's. It's exciting.

[B]

How good is that going to be? If you put those two rosters together, J. Mac and did a Pro bowl team, you could have. Stafford and Darnold are your quarterbacks. I mean, just look at the receivers. Puka, JSN Devonte, Adams. Go look at your defensive front. I mean, if you just took the Rams and Seahawks and said, we'll play the league, we'll do. You do your Pro bowl, we'll do ours. I'm telling you right now, you could compete your own line. You. You'd get, like, you know, you'd get Gray Zabel, who's good. Rams have, you know, a couple of pieces in the interior that are very good. Your O line wouldn't be full of Pro Bowlers, but everything else, you could go toe to toe with almost every take. Seattle secondary, Rams, receivers and backs. I mean, the backs would be Walker, Kyron, Williams. I mean, that these rosters are loaded.

[A]

Are you gonna do one of my favorite things, where you rank the top 10 players in the game?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I don't even know if Sam Darnold's top 10 in this game. I'm not even joking. It's load. There's so much talent. Darnold's good, but he's all pro. You know, he's fine. I don't think he's top 10, but I'm sure you'll find a way to crowbar him in.

[D]

Let me.

[A]

Let me ask you something. So in that second meeting, Ram Seahawks, did you know that the Rams did not punt until there were like, nine minutes left in the game? They went up and down the field, did whatever they wanted, and that's when McVay made the catastrophic mistake. Let me dial it back. Get a little conservative milk clock. And then the punt Return happens and all hell breaks loose. You know, I tried to break down in quarters, like if they saw a boxing match, the eight quarters that they faced, and I think Seattle's only got one of the quarters, and that would be the fourth quarter of the second meeting. Otherwise it was. It was even or Rams.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's like.

[B]

And you got the coaching, the skill players, the pass rushers, and it just. There's so many good players in this game. Yeah, I mean, this is what we should have. Philadelphia's got the players. They don't have the coaching.

[A]

One of the arguments I heard was the Rams peaked right around this second meeting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The Seahawks are peaking now and the Rams are kind of. I don't know about leaking oil. They've only covered once in their last five games, and that was week 18 against Carolina.

[B]

I got to tell you, I'm going to disagree. I think Chicago peaked at the end of the year. I think that win in Chicago is way more impressive than people think. They needed no turnovers, no penalty, no drop passes, and they won in overtime with mcvan, Stafford. Chicago would have beaten virtually everybody in football not named the Rams and Seahawks. I think right now in the NFC today, Chicago is the third best team, and I think it goes Seattle, Rams, Bears. I think that you look at that. Well, I mean, Ben Johnson, I mean, Chicago, everybody's just got. Well, of course the Rams won. They're experienced. Chicago was a really good football team. They needed. The Rams played a perfect game, no penalties or drop passes. In freeding weather, you can say that.

[A]

But Colin, we both said it on Monday. Like McVay might have called his worst game of the season. He even criticized himself for his run pass ratio through 3/4 before realizing, oh, that's right. You know, I've got an awesome ground game with Kyron Williams and. Oh, let me dust off Blake Corum. Yeah, maybe I'm complaining because I bet Blake Corum over props because it was such a great matchup and then he doesn't get carries till the fourth quarter and he can't eclipse his total. But it was a bizarre game plan. I don't. You know how sometimes you think overthink the room? I feel like McVay might have done that against the Bears.

[B]

That's the downside to being smart. Smart, smart people tend to overthink stuff.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I know what you're talking about.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, let's move on to the Baltimore Ravens. Colin, listen, it's the off season almost. You like hot takes. This is about as good as it gets. So obviously the Ravens have moved on from John Harbaugh. Well, you know, the Raiders have the number one pick in the draft in Fernando Mendoza. I feel like we speculated this a couple weeks back, but there's a report that claims the Raiders, sick and tired of losing, are looking for a big swing. And they may say, hey, we got the number one pick. Do you want it? We want Lamar Jackson. And there is some chatter about this. Now, Lamar has the brutal cap hit, right? 74 million. I think it's number one in the league. And he has two years left on his deal. He's looking for more money.

[B]

You'd have to move Max Crosby with that contract. But yeah, I think I should now that I don't. First of all, I'd feel bad for Lamar Jackson that that Raider O line at the end of last year was a disaster.

[A]

So Ravens O line ain't any great either.

[B]

I mean, a very good center.

[A]

Okay, that cancels out Colton Miller, who's an excellent left tackle. So I think there's a bigger question here. So, you know, maybe we can ask Brady this next time he comes on. But a lot of front offices, they don't want to wait. Everybody's impatient in society, whether it's movies, tv, sports, nobody has any patience.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Mendoza is not going to be a star. Colin. Instantly.

[B]

Jason.

[A]

It's going to take a couple years.

[B]

0 of the top 15 quarterbacks paid quarterbacks in the league are in the playoffs.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The way to win Super Bowls mostly is get a really, really super talented guy on a rookie deal or get Darnold on a team friendly deal. So Lamar Jackson's too expensive. So the Raiders would get him and have to give up stuff to get him and they wouldn't have the draft capital to surround him with really good, young free players.

[A]

100% agree. I'm with you. My question is, are the Raiders going to be disciplined or are they going to say, we've been so bad, we've been so awful, we're in the cellar in this division.

[B]

Brady's a very disciplined human and Tom has influence. So my guess is listen to Brady. If he has influence, his, his career can be defined by discipline. You have to be disciplined to make this work. Bringing in a guy that's worth a zillion dollars and giving up draft capital. If you, if you. It'd be one thing if I could bring in Lamar like in a trade and some way, you know, not have to give up two ones, a three, a four. But if you Bring him in. You can't now pay Max Crosby, and now I have to replace Max Crosby. Well, I need multiple draft picks. That doesn't work.

[A]

I agree. I totally agree. Like, people are saying, oh, the jets should go after Lamar or Kyler Murray. Like, no, I'm starting from scratch. But again, we're in an impatient society. This ownership, these owners, Colin, they want to win now. Okay? We're seeing a lot. Ten coaches got fired. That's insane. So I would, I would, I would not be shocked if the Raiders did something goofy here. But I'm with you. I ain't trading that number one pick. Final stories to the NBA. Colin, where last night, Jonathan Kuminga made a surprise appearance, but only because Jimmy Butler's hurting out for the season. Obviously, Kaminga and Kerr do not get along. He's really in the doghouse. And remember, Kuminga requested a trade as recently as last week. How about this one, Colin? This is how ugly it is for Golden State. Before last night's game, GM Mike Dunleavy addressed this trade request that Jonathan Kaminga made.

[G]

As far as the demand, I'm aware of that. I think when you, you know, in terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be demand on the market. So we'll see where that unfolds. But heard always with these guys, I tell them I'm willing to work with them, you know, want to help people out, whether that's JK or any player on a roster. So we're good with, you know, that's his wishes, trying to figure that out. But we got to do what's best for organization.

[B]

I'm getting old. I watched him play in high school. His dad was coach of the Blazers. He was a star basketball player, I think, at Jesuit High School. Great.

[A]

Is that the, is that the best way to be politically correct and be like, nobody wants to.

[B]

I don't get the.

[A]

There needs to be a demand.

[B]

Kaminga could score 20 a game. I wouldn't remember any of the baskets. He's a long, athletic guy. Long history in the NBA of guys who can fill, get you buckets, but don't necessarily win you games or matter. I, I've covered him before coming as a really long athletic guy, but I, I, I don't remember, you know, do you remember his basket? I, I have covered guys where you remember. It feels like a lot of their big baskets, like, like you know them. I know him. You can remember Jordan's big shots or Kobe's big shots. You can remember LeBron's great moments. Kaminga is just a really long athlete and, and again, if you think you're going to build around Kaminga, I mean, if they. I don't know. I've just my, my takes always been. If after four years in the league with a really smart coach and a smart superstar, I mean, Draymond, Kerr and Curry are hoping he would be a star. They're not rooting against him. They like Jordan Poole. It didn't work. They didn't like him. If Kerr, Curry and Draymond, these are high functioning NBA guys. They wish Kaminga scored 18 a game and the points mattered. He'll score 24 and they won't feel like they mattered. So, you know, I, I'm. I don't want to beat up on players, but if Kerr can't figure it out, he's pretty good. If Curry can't figure it out, if Draymond. Draymond has loved a lot of his teammates. He's not a guy that needs the ball in his hands. They want this Kaminga thing to work out and it doesn't.

[A]

Well, he's 23 years old. They just turned 23. We got it. We got to at least give him a chance.

[B]

I mean, field goal percentage, three years in a row, gone down.

[A]

He doesn't fit with the Warriors. So why would they sign him? Why did they keep him?

[B]

8 points better a game when he doesn't play.

[A]

I agree, but why did they keep him? Why didn't they move off?

[B]

Because there's no market for him.

[A]

I mean, you tell me you can't get anything from.

[B]

You can get. Yeah, anything. You don't want to give him away. You put so much time into him, there's no market for him.

[A]

It's weird how badly they bungle James Wiseman. Remember he went second overall. I don't even know if he's in the league.

[B]

That was a terrible draft. I don't blame them. That was a terrible draft and they were in their championship window. He was too young. He didn't have enough games. I mean, if you enter the warriors with Draymond and Stephen Kerr, they're asking a lot of you. Like Wiseman just. He didn't even be. Barely played 5, 7. What did he play in college? He played. Almost played no games.

[A]

Yeah, this was like the golden era. Warriors with Curry versus LeBron. It's over. It stinks for the league. Man, I miss these Warriors.

[B]

J Mac with the news.

[C]

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd lie news.

[B]

They'll meet for a third time for the third time. Could it be the game of the Year next?

[C]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app I'm John Paulk.

[E]

For years I was the poster boy of the conversion therapy movement, the ex gay who married an example lesbian and traveled the world telling my story of how I changed my sexuality from gay to straight. Once upon a time I was on 60 Minutes, Oprah, the front cover of Newsweek, and you might have heard my story, but you've never heard the real story. So join me as I peel back the layers and expose what happened to me in the midst of conversion therapy to shine a light on what the X Game movement does to people and the pain it continues to cause. I had lost £150 because if I couldn't control my sexuality, I was going to control my weight.

[B]

It sounded like, and this is the.

[D]

Word I used, a cult.

[E]

And as I look too, at the harm I did from within it. Listen to Atonement, the John Paulk story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

Tonight on FS1, it's a college hoops triple header. First at 7 Eastern Xavier and Creighton face off in a Big east Showdown. Then at 9, Cincinnati takes on top ranked Arizona. At 11, San Diego State battles Grand Canyon. It's all tonight on FS1.

[B]

Got the under on that one or what? You're pretty good with those.

[A]

No action tonight in college basketball, but it's early. The day is still young, no atmospheric river coming out west. So I got some time.

[B]

If you're talented and you have the right attitude, even if your current circumstances stink, you will find your kingmaker. Sam Darnold spent a lot of years in New York and Carolina, and then he caught Kyle Shanahan and Kevin o' Connell's eye. What did Andy Dufresne say? He found freedom after 500 yards of you know what? Yeah, he went through that same kind of tunnel. Sam Darnold's a good guy. Never played the victim, kept improving, got along with teammates, respectful to coaches. Same with Matt Stafford. Do you know if Matt Stafford gets to the super bowl, he will have more playoff wins than the Detroit Lions franchise ever. And Darnold, with last Saturday's win, has more playoff wins than the jets in the last, what, 15 years? So quarterbacks, a unique position. Stoicism matters. Don't get too high. Don't get Too low. And I would say Stafford stoic, Darnold stoic. Both this year combined seven and one after losses. They just don't get high. They just don't get low. And one of the things I love about football, it builds character. Practice is hard. You're playing hurt. By week three, you're playing in terrible weather. And you don't think of quarterback as like a physical position. But Justin Herbert was hit 129 times this year. And I looked this morning at Matt Stafford's career injuries, knee injuries, multiple shoulder injuries, multiple hand injuries, herniated discs, back issues and concussions. And that's what we know about. But it's also a mental game because only two people have to show up to the podium, win or lose, every week. Head coach, quarterback. That's it. Edge, rusher, receiver, can hide. So you've got to be the guy and you got to be stoic. And you can't start fires and you can't complain. Stoicism is a real gift. And I mean, I think when I look at Stafford, he was 13 years. I mean, Aaron Rodgers got mad, he got mad. I roll Mike McCarthy in Green Bay after a bad series. Stafford had 13 years of dealing with second tier stuff. Head down, self improvement, be the best teammate you can be. You'll find your kingmaker. He found McVeigh and it's the same thing with Darnold. So I mean, I Look at these two. One took 12 years in Detroit, 1, 5, 5 1/2 years Carolina. And it's just impossible to not root for Darnold and Stafford. For me, here was Sean McVeigh on facing once again the Seahawk defense. Third time this year.

[H]

I give Mike and their coaching staff and John Schneider, you know, they have vision for players that are these jokers that allow you to basically be able to be stout enough against the run, but still really good in coverage, you know, where, where a lot of the explosives come up. They've got a vision for guys and, and they can be stout against the run versus what they would say is. Typically most people would just look at and say it's a lighter grouping.

[B]

Yeah, I mean they just, they don't miss on draft picks. A lot of what Seattle does is because they have a plan. A lot of what the Rams do is because they have a plan. You're not just drafting players. You're, you know, you're drafting employees that fit into your culture. That's why it's so important when you hire McVeigh and Mike McDonald. Very similar people that you got to build the culture. Oh, it's about building the roster. There's a reason so many teams miss on draft picks. It's not that the players aren't any good. They often leave and go other places and fit. You gotta, you gotta hire a CEO who can build a culture. And then you. You're drafting employees to fit into your culture. That's what Vrabel gets. In New England, they got like five rookies making an impact in New England. If you gave them the wrong coach, those five rookies wouldn't make that impact. I mean, it was not a very good draft last year by left tackle standards. Will. Will Campbell was okay by great like this year has. I would imagine that two of the top left tackles this year are like really high end prospects. Will Campbell, his arms are a little short for left tackle. He's good, but it was not a very good draft last year. One of the weaker I can remember. And yet the Patriots have five guys, five rookies who actually are making an impact. Why? You're not just drafting players. You build a culture. You draft employees who fit into your culture. That's the, that's why so many good employees out there struggle at a company. They go to a new company and they crush. Right. We always want to blame the employee. We're going to blame the draft pick. I think if you put Keon Coleman in the Rams, he would have been better as a rookie than he was with the Bills. Or you put it with Kyle Shanahan. Right. There's a reason that Brock Purdy, seventh rounder, is a star in San Francisco. And Juwan Jennings, was he a six or a seventh rounder, is a star in San Francisco. Why would that be? It's the culture. We did this the other day with the Rams. The Rams have a left tackle, undrafted. Nate Landman, inside linebacker, undrafted, got him through Atlanta. The Rams have more players that are highly productive star players in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth round than any other team in the league. Why? Because you're not just drafting players. You have a culture. You're drafting employees who fit into it. And so when I watch these two, I see like smart head coaches, really good GMs that are really good at drafting employees who fit perfectly into their plan. And we did that graphic the other day with the Rams. It's insane. How many really good undrafted left tackles have we ever had? Not many. I mean, Puka Nukua could be offensive player of the year category, fifth rounder. Kyron Williams, fifth rounder, they're tight ends. They got third, fourth, fifth round, guys. By the way, I had Diana Rossini on top of the last hour, this hour, and we were asking her about, you know, Buffalo right now. There's a rumor that Bill Belichick could get it. I don't buy it. I think Brian D. To me, been there, great fit. I think Josh Allen would choose him probably, if he could. Here's Diane on. On the decision why they moved off Sean McDermott.

[D]

Look, they made a move because they know the window is going to just get, you know, tighter and tighter here. And swat, they moved on from Sean. So patience is already not something that they have. And they're going to. They're going to want a coach to come in here. I think they're going to lean more towards someone who's done it and get this thing going because they're going to want to be in the super bowl next year.

[B]

So Harbaugh's off the market. Jeff Halfley's off the market. Stefanski's off the market. Who else? Who else am I missing? We got three guys off the market.

[A]

Salah.

[B]

Robert Sala, Tennessee. He's off the market. And also, remember this. So are many of the best assistants. That's why hiring quickly matters. There's only a finite number of great coordinators on the market, so you want to be prudent, you want to take your time. But the Giants and the Falcons, they got it. They got a head start in everybody, and all it takes is getting involved very quickly. And that's why the Giants didn't waste any time. They've done this several times. You start waiting, you become the fifth, sixth, seventh team. I mean, somebody said that the Steelers are waiting for Chris Shula.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Oh, by the way, Mike McDaniel. Is this. Is this official?

[A]

Chargers.

[B]

It's official now, yeah. Mike McDaniel, Justin Herbert, lad McConkey. Jim Harbaugh. Sounds like an AFC west champ to me.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.