The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2 Summary

Date: September 30, 2025
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Main Guests: Nick Wright, Jason McIntyre

Overview

This hour of “The Herd” centers on Colin Cowherd’s latest NFL Herd Hierarchy rankings, deep dives into team trajectories, a candid discussion on Lamar Jackson vs. Kansas City, quarterback development, and A.J. Brown’s place in Philadelphia. Colin is joined by Nick Wright and Jason McIntyre to unpack the biggest stories and the shifting landscape of the NFL just over a month into the season.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Herd Hierarchy: Week 5 NFL Top 10 Rankings

(04:00–09:30)

Colin reveals his weekly top 10 teams, focusing on roster strengths, key injuries, and coaching advantages. He emphasizes that defensive injuries and offensive line play are distinguishing legitimate contenders from teams off to slow starts.

Highlights:

• #10 Colts: “Most efficient offense in the league and they don’t make mistakes... If you have an offensive line this good and Jonathan Taylor, you’re going to make great quarterbacks sit and watch for long stretches.” (04:35)
• #9 Denver Broncos: “This roster is really good... They’re going to lead the NFL in sacks again.” (04:47)
• #8 Detroit Lions: “Jared Goff hasn’t been sacked in three games... Defensively, I don’t think they’re great, but they get after the quarterback.” (05:18)
• #7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “Baker can be reckless... But I just, I like their spirit. And I’m going to put Tampa at number seven.” (05:53)
• #6 Seattle Seahawks: “Great road team... Sam Darnold leads the NFL in game-winning drives and big pass plays over the last two years.” (06:25)
• #5 Green Bay Packers: “They’re young, unlike Kansas City or Philadelphia. They don’t know yet how to put away inferior teams. But Jordan Love... he’s fine.” (07:19)
• #4 Kansas City Chiefs: “They have the number two scoring defense and they don’t give the ball away... I get a big-time defense, a great coach and quarterback, and they don’t give you the short field.” (08:11)
• #3 Los Angeles Rams: “What’s amazing is how good their defense is. And they don’t pay any of them. They’ve hit on so many draft picks.” (08:40)
• #2 Buffalo Bills: “You can’t ask Josh [Allen] to be Superman every week. He no longer is... Actually lead the NFL right now in rushing.” (09:16)
• #1 Philadelphia Eagles: “Every time I doubt Jalen Hurts, he turns it on... Best roster that does a lot of things well.” (09:29)

2. Chiefs, Lamar Jackson, and Playoff Pressure

(10:21–14:32)

Nick Wright joins to celebrate Kansas City's return to the top hierarchy and addresses the ongoing narrative: Does Lamar Jackson have a mental block against the Chiefs?

Nick Wright:

• “The Chiefs are in Lamar’s head and he doesn’t perform well in big spots... He’s transcendent through a regular season... Then in a big spot, he plays his worst game of the year.” (11:18)
• “In his last 30 games, Lamar has three multi-turnover games: AFC title against the Chiefs, the divisional round against Buffalo, and Sunday against the Chiefs... Against Patrick, he has an 80 passer rating and is 1 in 6.” (13:15)
• “What I don’t understand is why it is so hard for people to acknowledge that is the case with Lamar.”

3. Caleb Williams and ‘Layup’ Quarterbacking

(14:32–17:23)

Colin compares the steadiness of Mahomes and Steph Curry to young QBs like Caleb Williams, who can hit home runs but sometimes miss the easy plays.

Colin:

• “Steph Curry and Patrick Mahomes... never miss the layups—the stuff in the flat. Cam Newton was spectacular. He missed a lot of layups.” (14:32)

Nick Wright:

• “If I am getting a quarterback who could be my franchise quarterback... I would go option B [higher ceiling, layups a work in progress] because I feel like that stuff can get better over time.” (15:29)

• “That’s what Josh Allen was as a young player—these wow plays but couldn’t, you know, was very inaccurate, couldn’t complete his passes and then got better at that stuff.” (17:03)

4. Cowboys–Packers Micah Parsons Trade Reflection

(17:23–20:41)

Colin and Nick disagree on the Cowboys' decision to deal Micah Parsons.

Colin:

• “I think you have to be great at three things to be a great team: head coach, quarterback, and left tackle... The only times Mahomes has ever gotten blown out, it’s a left tackle issue, not a defense.” (17:34)

Nick Wright:

• “I have actually, I watched Dallas play, Colin, and I think I come to the opposite opinion of you... If they could just be average on defense, they could be really interesting... Their offense has been so good... They could use an elite pass rusher, which they used to have.” (19:12)

5. A.J. Brown’s Legacy and Potential Trade

(20:41–26:25)

The hosts discuss whether it’s fair for star receivers like A.J. Brown to want a bigger role elsewhere once they've won a ring and secured their earnings.

Colin:

• “A.J. Brown gets fewer yards than the third Buffalo Bills tight end... If I was A.J. Brown... I would go and just say, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be here, make a deal.’ I think A.J. Brown has a right to leave.” (21:00)

Nick Wright:

• “I totally agree with you... If you feel like you’re great at something and you’re not able to show it—and it’s not because your skills have declined—it can be frustrating... I think this is a simmering, simmering pot.” (22:30)
• “He wants to be a dominant individual player and he feels correctly that will help his team.” (25:40)

6. Rapid-Fire NFL Hot Topics (with Jason McIntyre)

(31:24–41:15)

a. Monday Night Doubleheader & Team Disadvantages (31:24–32:26)

Colin dislikes the impact of two Monday games for player rest/prep:
“I think anytime you shorten a week for a team... that hurts teams going into next week when they are one day shy.” (31:24)

b. Tyreek Hill Injury Fallout (32:29–35:50)

• Tyreek Hill’s ACL injury is likely career-altering:
  “He’s not a Hall of Famer, but he’s an exceptional athlete... I would have moved him last year. He publicly criticized his coach and his quarterback.” (33:15)

• Dolphins QB dilemma:
  “This is a great quarterback draft class. I would go and find my next quarterback and I would move Tua... I don’t think Tua in the AFC is the answer in January.” (34:07)

c. Tua vs. Kyler Murray (35:00–35:50)

Colin prefers Kyler for his rare athleticism:
“I think Kyler is an elite athlete. I don’t think Tua is... I would take Kyler.” (35:00)

d. Travis Kelce and Load Management (36:03–38:20)

Travis Kelce’s snap counts are down; Colin supports the Chiefs’ approach.
“Last year of a legendary player who could make big plays in big games? Yes.” (37:34)

e. Baker Mayfield vs. Sam Darnold (40:25–40:55)

Colin sees more athletic upside in Darnold but trusts Baker’s late-game history:
“Sam is more athletic... but history tells you Baker.” (40:55)

7. Final Takeaways and Week 5 Preview

(45:33–50:33)

a. Early Playoff Picture & AFC/NFC Outlook (45:33–48:03)

Colin predicts this season’s playoff race is already taking shape: “It doesn’t take a long time for excellence to surface... If you look at the AFC and NFC playoff teams today, I think this is mostly what it’s going to look like.” (45:33)

b. Week 5 Upset Watch (48:03–50:05)

Colin’s “lock” is the Rams over the 49ers and likes the Colts to cover. He and Jason debate Jacksonville’s inconsistency.

Notable Quotes

• Nick Wright on Lamar Jackson’s Playoff Performance:

  “He gets a little tight in big spots. He doesn’t play his best in the biggest moments.” (13:43)

• Colin Cowherd on Jalen Hurts and Philly's Roster:

  “Every time I doubt Jalen Hurts, he turns it on... their roster is stacked and every time I doubt Jalen Hurts, he turns it on. So I think there’s something about his kind of personality and his toughness and his resilience.” (09:29)

• Nick Wright on A.J. Brown:

  “If you feel like you’re great at something and you feel like you’re not able to show it and it’s not because your skills have declined, it can be frustrating... This is a simmering, simmering pot.” (22:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Herd Hierarchy Top 10: 04:00–09:30
• Chiefs & Lamar Jackson Debate (Nick Wright): 10:21–14:32
• Caleb Williams, Layups & QB Ceiling: 14:32–17:23
• Micah Parsons Trade Debate: 17:23–20:41
• A.J. Brown Future: 20:41–26:25
• NFL News Roundup w/ Jason McIntyre (Tyreek Hill, Tua, Kelce, Load Management): 31:24–41:15
• Week 5 Playoff Outlook and Gambling Notes: 45:33–50:33

Tone & Style

Engaging and conversational, with Colin driving strong opinions and layered analysis, Nick Wright providing sharp, context-driven counterpoints, and J. Mac injecting news and pointed questions. The tone is witty, direct, and sometimes confrontational—matching the original broadcast.

Conclusion

Hour 2 of “The Herd” delivers a sharp, entertaining snapshot of the NFL’s most interesting storylines: midseason recalibrations, the nuance of elite quarterback play under pressure, player value beyond the box score, and controversy around load management. Fans get both the big-picture view (playoff race projections, quarterback debates) and the granular detail (team depth, snap counts, and matchups) that define early October football.