Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Hour 2 – The Dolphins tear it all down, Does NBA have enough star power?
Date: February 16, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts and The Volume)
Host: Colin Cowherd
Featured Guests: Albert Breer (Monday Morning Quarterback), John Middelkoff

Episode Overview

This hour, Colin covers a range of hot-topic issues across sports:

• The Miami Dolphins’ dramatic organizational reset and what it means for Tua Tagovailoa.
• The shifting market for quarterbacks like Kyler Murray.
• Rookie quarterback evaluations, especially Fernando Mendoza compared to other prospects.
• How tanking is reshaping the NBA and whether the league has enough star power.
• The importance of developmental systems in basketball, with a critique of the G League.
• Rankings, rumors, and reflections on the current state of the NFL and NBA All-Star culture.

The hour is brisk, opinionated, and filled with Colin’s signature blend of informed reporting, speculation, and storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Where Colin Was Right, Where Colin Was Wrong (02:11–11:18)

Colin reviews predictions and opinions about current sports events and personalities:

• LeBron James’ Lakers Acknowledgement: LeBron admitted the Lakers aren't a championship team due to poor roster construction.

  “It’s a three and D league. We don’t have any threes or Ds. ... They’re old, they’re slow, they’re too offensive leaning.” (03:03)

• Fernando Mendoza Red Flags: Colin voices doubts after new reports liken Mendoza to Justin Fields, raising alarms about negative plays and stiffness.
• NFL Coaching Carousel: Advocates for not replacing elite coordinators with internal candidates; praises the Seahawks for this wisdom.
• Running Backs Still Matter: Despite the “death” of the position, top running backs like Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Walker are still seeing significant value in the evolving NFL.

  “Running backs will always matter because six or seven young quarterbacks are coming into the league every year, ... nothing makes a quarterback’s growth accelerate like a strong O-line and strong run game.” (10:41)

2. Dolphins Tear Down Everything & Tua’s Future (11:18–13:17)

Albert Breer joins to dive into the Dolphins’ strategy:

• Miami’s moves to shed Tyreek Hill and others are part of a total reset.
• The franchise has spent years with few draft picks and poor drafting, forcing a shift to a long-term developmental strategy.
• On Tua’s Future: His $54 million contract complicates any decision. Breer suggests the likely outcome is moving on.

  "This is part of a global effort to reset ... Drafting and developing was number one [when hiring GM and coach]." (11:18 – Breer) "If all things were equal, they would just move on. The tape wasn’t good last year." (12:56 – Breer)

3. The Kyler Murray Conundrum (13:17–15:18)

• Colin and Breer discuss Kyler Murray’s future, noting his talent but questioning his “backup” personality and the toxic environment in Arizona.
• Contract guarantees ($36.8M this year, $19.5M next year) complicate any trade or release.
• Most probable outcome: Arizona will cut ties, making Murray a “reclamation project” in 2026.

  "I think he will find a place that’ll view him as that sort of reclamation project. Maybe it’s Minnesota, maybe it’s the Jets. We’ll see." (14:46 – Breer)

4. Fernando Mendoza: The Next Goff or Fields? (15:18–17:50)

• Colin relays concerns about Mendoza’s fit as a top quarterback prospect (stiff, negative plays, Fields comp).
• Breer compares Mendoza to Jared Goff: accurate, can take hits, but comes from a spread-out, RPO-heavy system with a learning curve.

  "He’s got a natural stroke, he’s really accurate, he could take hits ... but you just haven’t seen him do it yet [in the pros]." (16:31 – Breer)

• Discusses the Raiders as his likely destination—question is whether they can support him like Sean McVay did with Goff.

5. Reflecting on QB Musical Chairs and NFL Trends (17:50–21:16)

• Colin makes the case for Malik Willis to Pittsburgh and speculates on Aaron Rodgers’s future—Minnesota is a good fit if they’re willing to wait, unlike Pittsburgh.
• Breer suggests the Steelers want no part of a rebuild and need a concrete answer before free agency opens.

  "If you are going to wait for him [Aaron Rodgers], the problem is then all that quarterback movement that happens in the middle of March. ... you could be left with nothing." (20:08 – Breer)

6. Tanking in the NBA, Star Power, and Change (24:08–31:22)

• Colin reflects on NBA and ABA history, how change (e.g., three-point shot, dunk contest) is key to sports evolution.
• Asserts tanking is now the only viable path to contention under the current NBA CBA, and credits the Jazz, Pistons, and Spurs for embracing the “soft tank”.

  "I'm going to give Utah credit. ... Like this is the new CBA we’re dealing with. This is what we're going to do to get great. Well, it’s working." (26:11)

• NBA All-Star Game is more meaningful when players like Wemby genuinely care; laments that international stars often don’t engage.

7. The NBA’s Development Problem: College vs. G League (45:23–end)

• Colin rails against the G League, calling it a “disaster” for player development versus college or European academies.
• Highlights how most NBA stars still come through NCAA or overseas systems, and G League Ignite has failed to produce All-Stars.

  "There’s no G League All-Stars around. ... The NBA got into this weird thing before NIL—like we’ve got to get the players paid. You’re not making them better players." (45:34)

• Credits NIL for saving college basketball as a development pipeline.

8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Lakers:

  "LeBron’s acknowledging what we’ve said... the Lakers have a roster construction issue." (03:03)

• On tanking:

  "If you look at what the Jazz are doing, it’s gonna pay off ... Spurs paid off, Detroit paid off." (26:04)

• On NBA's international flavor:

  "Don’t blame an international basketball player if he comes to the United States and doesn’t care about anything other than winning a championship here or his home country. Don’t be shocked by that." (32:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Baseball Revenue & Ownership Commentary: 02:11–03:03
• Where Colin Was Right/Wrong: 03:03–11:18
• Dolphins Hit the Rebuild Button (with Albert Breer): 11:18–13:17
• Kyler Murray Market (with Albert Breer): 13:17–15:18
• Rookie QB Fernando Mendoza Analysis: 15:18–17:50
• NFL QB Movement Discussion (Rodgers/Steelers/ Vikings): 17:50–21:16
• NBA Tanking & Evolution Segment: 24:08–27:00
• Internationalization of the NBA/All-Star Game: 31:22–33:45
• G League vs. College Basketball Discussion: 45:23–end

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode features Colin’s bold, opinion-heavy style, mixing hard reporting (with Breer) and deeply personal takes. Guests like Breer and Middelkoff add depth and counterpoints. The running theme is the transformation and root challenges in major American sports, from team-building strategies in the NFL and NBA, to how talent is being fostered (or not). There’s nostalgia for dynasties and American-made stars, but also a pragmatic acceptance that sports culture, economics, and international influence are permanently shifting the landscape.

In Brief

• Dolphins are tearing things down; Tua and Tyreek out signals a total reset.
• The QB market is chaotic and contract-heavy; expect major moves.
• NBA tanking isn’t new, but now it’s the only path to the top under the new CBA.
• The NBA’s star pipeline is troubled; G League Ignite is a failure, while college hoops and European academies continue to matter most.
• The All-Star culture and star power in the NBA are affected by globalization, generational wealth, and changing priorities.

This hour is a must-listen for anyone wanting inside perspective—unfiltered, insightful, and never dull.