THE HERD - Hour 3 - Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh stops by The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Hour 3

Date: December 2, 2025
Main Guest: Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach)
Theme: Grit & Resilience — Building Winners Despite Adversity

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Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, Colin Cowherd sits down with Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, to discuss overcoming injuries, coaching philosophies, talent evaluation from college to NFL, and the unique challenges of leading a team through tough stretches of the NFL season. The hour spotlights Harbaugh's signature optimism and toughness, the dynamics behind the Chargers’ surprising success despite mounting obstacles, and insights about key players, including Justin Herbert's resilience.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Running the Ball Without Star Linemen

• Colin opens by praising Harbaugh’s remarkable ability to “create toughness and resilience,” regardless of the team or circumstances. He’s especially impressed by the Chargers' ability to run the ball after losing two Pro Bowl offensive tackles.
• Harbaugh responds:
  • Credits the performance of replacement offensive linemen and running backs, naming Jabari Sawyer, Zion Johnson, Brad Boseman, Makai Becton, and Trey Pipkins as standouts.
  • Points out that all starting linemen graded over 90%, highlighting their commitment and performance.
  • Stresses the importance of “faith. And number 10—let’s never forget Justin Herbert. He’s a beast” (04:20).

2. Handling Trash Talk and Player Toughness

• Conversation turns to on-field altercations, specifically a moment between Max Crosby and Justin Herbert.
  • Harbaugh likens Herbert’s style:
    “I was probably a lot like Justin. I’m more of a counter puncher… like a Floyd Mayweather, like a Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard” (05:45).
  • Emphasizes mutual respect between players and appreciates their competitive fire.

3. Coaching Through Adversity

• Colin asks about Harbaugh’s psychological approach after major injuries:
  • Harbaugh stresses the ‘next man up’ mentality:
    “It’s emotional; it hurts. ...But then there’s, yeah, what’s next? Who’s the next man up?” (07:15)
  • Acknowledges the gut-wrenching feeling of seeing prepared players like Rashawn Slater go down, but transitions quickly to focusing on new opportunities for others.
  • Encourages players to “attack it,” regaining footing after the initial shock.

4. Fixing a Stall — Solving Offensive Struggles

• Colin draws parallels to other NFL teams’ mid-season slumps (e.g., Green Bay, Philadelphia):
  • Harbaugh’s formula for improvement:
    “You want to get better at something, you just work a little bit harder at it. ...Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. That theory that improvement will lead to success is how I see everybody attacking whatever issue…” (09:25)
  • Recognizes the Eagles’ struggles but respects their record and defending champion status. “It’s a big challenge for us.”

5. Talent Evaluation — The College-to-NFL Pipeline

• Colin notes Harbaugh’s advantage: Knowing recruits from college and being more familiar with young talent.
  • Harbaugh deflects credit:
    “It may look that way, but no, that’s not the case. That’s Joe Ortiz. That’s our personnel staff.” (10:56)
  • Praises the Chargers’ front office’s collaborative process and highlights Chad Alexander and Lou Clark, noting Alexander “will be a general manager, you know, soon.”

6. Protecting Justin Herbert — Toughness vs. Recklessness

• Colin asks if Harbaugh ever tells Herbert to play ‘less tough’ and slide more:
  • Harbaugh:
    “Justin is just—he’s at a level that I just let Justin be Justin.” (17:20)
    • He does advise all quarterbacks: “Clearly get out of bounds. You can’t play for that penalty anymore because that’s going to be reviewed.” (17:20)
  • Discusses the rule changes making sideline hits riskier for QBs trying to draw penalties.

7. Quarterback Injury Update

• Colin asks if Justin Herbert will play Monday post-hand surgery:
  • Harbaugh:
    “If there’s any possible way—yeah, Justin will do anything and everything in his power to play in the game.” (18:55)
  • Ultimately, “It all comes down to the doctors. ...I got a lot of things hanging on the wall here, but a medical degree is not one of them” (19:25).

8. Getting Key Playmakers Back

• Amari and Hampton’s return:
  • Harbaugh: “He’s been trending great… another guy that’s just done everything…,” but emphasizes it’s still up to the medical staff for final clearance (19:43).

9. Weather and Personal Anecdotes

• Colin asks for Midwest winter survival tips:
  • Harbaugh deadpans: “Just enjoy it, Colin. ...Just make sure you have the proper footwear” (20:26).
  • Harbaugh playfully teases Colin about losing his Midwest grit: “I’m not buying that. You’re tough as they come. Tough as a two dollar stick” (20:52).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Let’s never forget Justin Herbert. He is… a beast. He’s one of the best, in my opinion, playing in the game now and ever.” — Jim Harbaugh, 04:23
• “I was probably a lot like Justin. I’m more of a counter puncher… like a Floyd Mayweather, like a Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard.” — Jim Harbaugh, 05:45
• “It’s emotional; it hurts… But then there’s, yeah, what’s next? Who’s the next man up?” — Jim Harbaugh, 07:08
• “You want to get better at something, you just work a little bit harder at it. ...Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today.” — Jim Harbaugh, 09:16
• “Justin is just—he’s at a level that I just let Justin be Justin… But I would tell all quarterbacks… clearly get out of bounds. ...You can’t play for that penalty anymore.” — Jim Harbaugh, 17:20
• “It all comes down to the doctors. ...I got a lot of things hanging on the wall here, but a medical degree is not one of them.” — Jim Harbaugh, 19:25
• “You’re tough as they come. Tough as a two dollar stick.” — Jim Harbaugh, 20:52

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:03 — Colin welcomes Jim Harbaugh
• 04:23-05:24 — Running the ball after losing O-line stars; “faith in Justin Herbert”
• 05:40-06:34 — Trash talk, counters, and mutual respect between players
• 07:08-08:27 — Coaching mindset after injuries; ‘next man up’ philosophy
• 09:16-10:13 — Fixing offensive struggles for teams and players
• 10:56-12:28 — NFL Draft advantages, talent evaluation, credit to Chargers’ personnel team
• 17:20-18:29 — QB safety, sideline “cute” plays, new rules advice
• 18:55-19:35 — Herbert’s injury and playing prospects; “comes down to the doctors.”
• 19:43-20:14 — Getting Amari and Hampton back
• 20:26-20:52 — Midwest winter tips & playful banter
• 20:52-21:01 — Closing segment with well-wishes for Monday Night Football

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Tone & Language

• Harbaugh: Unfailingly positive, candid, plainspoken, and wryly humorous. He mixes metaphors, sports references, and personal anecdotes, consistently emphasizing team, next-man-up mentality, and respect for players and staff.
• Colin Cowherd: Enthusiastic, sharply insightful, often teeing up Harbaugh for extended riffs and giving honest appraisals of players or coaches.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers a masterclass in sports leadership, focusing on resilience, adaptability, and collaboration in the face of adversity. Harbaugh’s wisdom is evident both in technical football discussion and in the broader philosophy of building winning cultures under pressure. Whether you’re a fan of the Chargers, football, or elite coaching, this conversation radiates insight and infectious optimism for thriving, not just surviving, amid adversity.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do you mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A little escape? No. Delicious bowl of grapes? Yeah. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. How about the clear skies? Can't deliver that. But French fries? Yeah. Get almost, almost anything delivered with UberEats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Remember when people were nice? When we could occasionally stop fighting and come together? Well, here's some good news. The Ripple Effect is here. Hosted by comedian Jenna Kim Jones, it's a show about how powerful it is when we reach out to one another. It's the perfect weekly proof that goodness isn't gone. The Ripple Effect is more than a podcast. It's a reminder that you can start a ripple that changes everything. Listen to the ripple effect on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research so you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops Snapdragon the heart of your PC. Battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors. Alienware's biggest sale of the season lets you unleash peak performance at Black Friday. Savings prices start at 899.99 on select Alienware PCs like the groundbreaking Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptop, taking performance to the next level with Intel Core processors. Plus you can save on all the latest accessories and displays like the Alienware 32.4K QD OLED gaming monitor. Visit alienware.com deals before these limited time savings end Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio and 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.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Now, let's get this party started.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Well, I said yesterday on the show, I don't know how the Niners are doing it with all their injuries. And I also said yesterday on the show, you know, Mike Vrabel may win coach of the year. Right. Number one seed. I said what, what Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman are doing with that offense. When you lose your two offensive tackles, usually it's over. But the Chargers, now, Justin Herbert had surgery. Not going to miss time. Here comes Amari and Hampton back. They have the number two pass defense in the NFL, number three, total defense. The good news is Herbert Hampton, Philadelphia's wobbly a little bit. Jim Harbaugh is now joining us live. You know, it is interesting, Jim, because you are one of these coaches that you create a toughness and a resilience. I don't care if it's Stanford. I don't care what San Diego, San Francisco, Michigan Chargers, first week of practice, it feels different. I thought when you lost both tackles, I said, it's over. It's impro football. Can't win and you're still running the football. What is it? Give me the secret. So how do you run the football when your offensive lineman, your offensive line is missing two Pro Bowlers? How do you do it?

[Jim Harbaugh]

Well, good players. Good players up front. You know, and I thought our offensive line really, you know, had one of its, one of its best games this past week.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Jabari Sawyer really did a heck of a job at left tackle. Zion Johnson played one of his best games. Brad Boseman had one of his best games. Makai Becton graded out over all of our linemen, graded out over 90%. Trey Pipkins had a bunch of key blocks. Our running backs really did a phenomenal job. Kymani Vidal, Jarrett Patterson really played some of our best football. And it's those guys. They're the tough men. Plus faith. And number 10, let's never forget Justin Herbert. He is. He's, he's. He's a. He's a lead. He's a beast. He's. He's one of the best, in my opinion. So he's playing in the game now and ever.

[Prime Video Announcer]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Max Crosby and him. Max Crosby, you know, pushes him over, shoved him. I love Max. Okay. And Justin probably did a little trash talk. I'm okay with that.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Oh, yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, did You. Did you trash talk a little in your day? A little.

[Jim Harbaugh]

I, you know, I was, I, I was probably a lot like Justin. I'm more of a counter puncher, you know, I mean, I wasn't gonna get the, the first one in, I can promise you that. Max, Max was, Max gets, he's quite good at trash talking himself. Justin was kind of counter punching like a Floyd Mayweather, like a Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard. And yeah, that, those two, they have nothing but respect for each other. And yeah, I'm like you, I really like Max Crosby. I love Justin. But yeah, and I like, I like they're two greats, they're two of the, the greats and the two of the best in the game.

[Colin Cowherd]

When you, when you did, when you did have losses to injuries, do you have to coach differently psychologically? Do you have to be more upbeat? I mean, you're very, very optimistic guy, you love football like nobody I've ever seen. But when you have all these injuries, gym players can have self doubt. Players are all, it's cold, it's, it's. The weather changes. Do you have to coach differently almost psychologically? The speeches, the motivation, the tactics. When you are injury depleted, which you really have been this year, it's, it's.

[Jim Harbaugh]

A, it's a, you know, next man up mentality. You know, it's emotional, it hurts. You know, Rashawn Slater, for example, I mean that, like, I mean, it's just gut wrenching, you know, how much he poured into this entire off season. I mean, him and Joe Alt, I mean, they're elite guys when it comes to training and their preparation. And then, you know, when that, when that unfortunate long term, you know, six month type injury, you know, hits you just, I mean, you feel sick. I mean, physically, physically sick. But then, you know, then, you know, I mean, but then there's a, you know, there's, yeah, what's, what's next? Who's the next man up? And you got a guy, you know, sitting there on a spring who's also been training and preparing and you know how much they've poured into it. That, you know, that's, that's their opportunity. So I guess, yeah, there's two ways, two ways you feel about it and you know, when you kind of get your breath back, you got to kind of get your footing back. You know, here we go, let's, let's attack it. And next man up mentality, you know.

[Colin Cowherd]

It'S this couple of weeks ago, Green Bay's offense was broken and they solved it right now, Philadelphia's offense a little, they can't quite figure it out. It happens. It's a long, long season. Jim. When you, when you look at a team like Philadelphia, you're pouring over the film and they just can't quite get the running game right. Have you ever been in those situations? I mean, if you ever had. Even this year, you have a two game stretch and it's just not, it's just not working. How do you get. Because Matt Leflore had that about three weeks ago and then I watched them last week and I'm like, okay, they solved their problem. When you do have these two game skids, when you're not quite right, how do you get out of it? What do you do? Is it usually schematics, players health? How do you get out of it? Because Philly's in one right now.

[Jim Harbaugh]

You want to get better at something, you just work a little bit harder at it. So it's really, that's the formula. Improvement. Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. That, that theory that improvement will lead to success is how I see everybody, you know, everybody attacking whatever issue that they have. And I see that with the Eagles. And let's remember they're leading their division. They're nine and three, they're the world champions. And, you know, it's, you know, big challenge, big challenge for us. And so we're working, we're working hard, you know, trying to improve our strengths, trying to improve our weaknesses. You know, a lot of, a lot of things that, that it's a, that there's emphasis on. And I know the Eagles are doing the exact same thing.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, Jim, when you came out of Michigan, you had a little bit of an advantage because you had recruited so many of the players, you were going to draft you, you, I mean, a lot of those guys. So you guys have hit on a lot of your draft picks. And I, and I said this, there is an advantage. The one advantage for a college coach to go pro is, you know, you know, the players you were recruiting in high school, you know their odometer, you know their strengths and weaknesses. Nobody's going to fool you. You have had some of your young players, I mean, lad McConkey, some of your young players have been, I mean, really hit early. Did you think during your first couple drafts here, did you kind of sense, you know what, I know these guys better than these other teams know these guys, because it looks like you did.

[Jim Harbaugh]

It may look that way, but no, that's, that's not the Case, that's, that's Joe Ortiz. That's our personnel staff. I mean, and that's what they do every day. You know, it's, they, you know, I try to, I chip in there, you know, where I can. But no, I mean, we all see the good players. I mean, you really, you can, you watch the tape and everybody can see the good players. And then you realize, you know what, they're going to be playing for somebody else because we only get one pick, you know, every, every 32 picks. But yeah, you do the best you can when it's your time to pick, you know, you pick the best, best player available. That's the, that's the Joe Ortiz. And you know, his strategy. And it's, you know, I have learned so much just being in those meetings and listening to our scouts, our personnel. Chad Alexander's phenomenal. He'll be a general manager, you know, soon. For a smart team that's looking for, you know, a guy that's, that's great. And Lou Clark, all the guys, you know, in our, in our personnel room to go through that board to watch Joe Ortiz, you know, lead that process that's, you know, years in the making and then, you know, culminates at the NFL draft, you know, it's, it's, it's inspiring. I've learned a ton.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington.

[Colin Cowherd]

From the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.

[Jim Harbaugh]

And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right, you can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day.

[Jim Harbaugh]

All you got to do, search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again.

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YouTube.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

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[Prime Video Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jim Harbaugh]

You know, not too many, you know, not really. Justin is just, he's at a level that I just let Justin be Justin. And he knows exactly what he's doing. He's doing it, you know, at the highest level a person possibly can. But I would tell all quarterbacks because I remember those days of trying to be cute on the sideline too. You know, you just, you kind of get to the sideline, you slow up a little bit. You know, you look like you're stepping out of bounds and you're trying to get them to hit you so you can kind of, you know, get, get the penalty. But you know, those, that's it. That's an emphasis right now in the NFL. That, and they even send it up for review. Like if both those feet aren't out of bounds, you know, you can, you can be hit. So, yeah, you know, piece of advice to. So all NFL quarterbacks is clearly get out of bounds. You know, you can't play that, you can't play for that, that penalty anymore because you know that's, that's going to be, that's going to be reviewed. Right? So, yeah, I think all quarterbacks need to, need to know that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. Now, Justin just, I used to, I.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Used to try to get a couple of those, those penalties. Well, but it's different now. I mean, they're, they're reviewing that Both, both those feet aren't in the White. You can be hit the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now, Justin had surgery on his hand. He's the kind of kid, he'll fight through it. I know you'd have to. He. Is he going to play Monday against Philly, do we know that? Today, right now?

[Jim Harbaugh]

Oh. If there's any possible way. Yeah. Justin will. Will do anything and everything in his power to. To play in the game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. What if he's the kind of.

[Jim Harbaugh]

He's the kind of guy you. You have to pull back. You can never. You can never. You can never. You never have to talk him into playing football, that's for sure. You saw that, Saw that in our game against the Raiders. You know, one minute he's. He just. He just went in. He just went in.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean, Justin's the kind of guy.

[Jim Harbaugh]

It all comes down to the doctors. I mean, I got a lot of. A lot of things hanging on the wall here, but a medical degree is not one of them, so.

[Colin Cowherd]

That is funny. Hey, you get Amari and Hampton back. That's gotta feel great, does it not?

[Jim Harbaugh]

Yeah, he's. He's. He's been trending great. He's, you know, another guy that's just done everything and anything to get back and, you know, and it's the same course action, you know, the doctors, you know, cleared him to have limited participation last week and see where the week takes us this week. But, you know, he says. He says he's looking good, feeling good. So he's looking good. He says he's feeling good, and we'll see where the week takes us.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, finally. I spent a lot of time in Chicago. I saw 24 degrees the other day. Do you have any hints? I mean, you know, the Midwest. Well. Any secrets to staying warm out here? It's my first winter out here, Jim.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Oh, yeah. Just enjoy it, Colin. You know, the changing of the seasons. Only piece of advice is enjoy the snow. You know, crunching under your feet. Just make sure you have the proper footwear.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay?

[Jim Harbaugh]

All right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll wear a boot.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Nice winter jacket.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure I was built for it, but we'll see. Spending too much time in Manhattan Beach. I got a little soft, Jim. I'm gonna be honest with you. I got a little soft.

[Jim Harbaugh]

I'm not buying it. I'm not buying that. You're tough as they come. Tough as a two dollar stick.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, here we go. Monday Night football. Eagles. Good luck, Jim Harbaugh.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Appreciate it. Thanks for having me on.

[Colin Cowherd]

You bet. Yeah. Thursday with a high of 19 degrees. That's what it's going to be this Thursday. Listen, they get Hampton back. Herbert's going to play Monday. The Eagles are wobbling. The problem with the Chargers now they got here's their schedule coming up. All above 500 Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans, Broncos and three of those teams. I mean Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, Texans, Broncos, Kansas City's desperate. Dallas is desperate. Texas. I mean in most of these situations, Philly doesn't have to win. Everybody else on that list, I mean Denver's got to win because Denver wants that number one seed and a buy for Sean Payton. So their schedule is brutal, but they've quietly, they've quietly become 8 and 4 and now they get their start running back back. So we'll take a break. J. Mac around the corner it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

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[Prime Video Announcer]

Night Football is on and it's only on Prime Video. This week the Dallas Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions in a new rivalry with lots of heat. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party TNF Tonight presented by Verizon. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Cowboys and the lions Thursday at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

To be a soccer fan. On Friday, it all kicks off with the FIFA World cup final draw at 11:30am Eastern on Fox. Then on Saturday, Messi and Inter Miami square off against Vancouver for the MLS cup at 2:30pm Eastern. Also on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

Think about this. We were talking about Mike Tomlin. People are criticizing and I I'm criticizing his offense and his inability to fix the offense. We just looked us up. The last time Mike Tomlin won a playoff game and his team scored an offensive touchdown was January 8th of 2017 we're at December 2nd of 2025. That's almost nine years they have not so for people protecting Tomlin. Almost nine years where they've won a playoff game and actually scored a single offensive touchdown. Well, about 10 years ago, the NFL pivoted to an offensive league. So I can like lots of factors, but feel Tomlin. Pittsburgh is run its course. J. Mac with the news.

[Jim Harbaugh]

No, no, no. Turn on the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the Herd line news.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

All right, Colin, let's start with the Minnesota Vikings and J.J. mcCarthy that he is expected to clear concussion protocol this week and start on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Kevin O' Connell said yesterday McCarthy is symptom free, just needs to have a full practice to clear concussion protocol. And that is expected to happen. Maniana, Colin, J.J. mcCarthy against Washington. Now, if you see that on the screen, Washington minus one and a half. That will not be the case if McCarthy's the starter. He is definitely better than Max Brosmer, who was awesome.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, Washington just played a Sunday night game that went to overtime. Lot of snaps. So I would say if you're a Viking fan, you could be a little optimistic. Also, they got shut out last week, so they're not going to get shut out. And it's at home. I, I, if you're giving me Minnesota and two or three points, I would take Minnesota.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Well, Minnesota will probably be favored tomorrow this time, so. Interesting. I just bet this game today. Here are the last seven opponents Minnesota's face.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Eagles, Chargers, Lions, Ravens, Bears, Packers, Seahawks. They have one thing in common. They're all playoff teams. Seven in a row. That is a gauntlet, Colin. Obviously they're not beating any of those teams. But Washington, they're not a playoff team. And I'm totally with you. The overtime game, max effort, empty the tank and lose. And now you got to go to Minnesota. We know what Flores is going to do. Dial up, blitz heavy packages. I think Minnesota's a side here for sure. I don't know. Are you buying this? Kevin o' Connell's job is on the line. Is he in, is he in trouble? I'm not believing that, but don't buy it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Athlete. He's a very. It's like Kevin Stefanski. The people in the league know Stefanski and Kevin o' Connell are very good coaches. That stuff's ridiculous.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Ridiculous.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Totally agree. All right, let's move on to the Penn State coaching search, which is, you know, not on. Great. Now, listen, it's a mess. Is a bit strong, but interestingly, Penn State is focusing on BYU coach and apologies for butchering his name. Kalani Satake. The sides have been in discussions. No deal signed yet. Here's the thing. BYU is playing in a conference championship game this weekend against Texas Tech. Now, I'm holding a Red Raiders playoff ticket from August. I. I need the Red Raiders to deliver here. They're already huge favorites. I'm a little suspicious of this. I mean, has he done that good of a job that he's going to grab the Penn State job? Nobody on the east coast. Really?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, there are discussions that James Franklin's powerful agent did not like the way it was handled at Penn State. And Penn State is being shut out of the top candidates.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Now that is spicy. I have not heard that anywhere.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, so the agent for James Franklin is sending his clients to other jobs.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

And you know, only a handful of agents calls call the shots in college football.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, there's like two.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Again, I'm not denying this BYU coach is a good coach, but again, a lot of times, you know, the regionally coaches stay where they fit. Like Brian Kelly, as you said, didn't fit in the deep south. Lane Kiffin is going to work fine. I just don't know if this BYU coach will fit in Penn State. I personally, I would make a run at Brian Dabel. I know he wants to go back to the NFL, but they missed on Clark Lee, the Vanderbilt coach. He's staying. Man, this.

[Colin Cowherd]

I wasn't a fan of firing James Franklin. It. It creates chaos. And again, the minute Franklin got fired, Signetti got an extension and Lane Kiffin was never interested. And I think Penn State's a really good job. I think that they're maybe not quite as good a job as they think. If you considered everything, everything like geography, the state, the recruiting. The best job in the Big Ten is Ohio State. The second best job. A lot of people think it's usc, but let's just say Michigan.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

Third best job in the NIL era. It's either USC or Oregon. They're both great. Right. So there's your top four. Your fifth best job is what?

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Probably Penn State.

[Colin Cowherd]

I would say Penn State, but it's fun.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Listen, they have so much talent there and kids and you know, I would spend a lot of time in Pennsylvania living with my family. My brother lives out that. We know a lot of people there. Penn State is the jam in and around Pennsylvania.

[Prime Video Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Okay. People aren't clamoring to get to Pittsburgh or Temple. Penn State's the place to be. It has a great college vibe and atmosphere. They're going to be fine, Colin. Regardless of who the coach is, I think they're going to be fine.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right. I'm just saying they may have not considered that by firing James Franklin, it sent a very toxic message that angered elite agents or one in particular. That's all I'm saying.

[Prime Video Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Final story, Colin. Listen, Lakers lost last night. They got housed. Now, now, this is not great. Okay? So if you look at this video, LeBron's talking to somebody on the Sun's bench. It might have been Godwin while he's doing that play is happening. And J.J. redick is trying to call a play for LeBron. He's like, Bron, we're running this play, and LeBron's talking to the Suns so he can't hear him. J.J. redick has to burn a timeout. And you see him kind of shake his head like, what are we doing, LeBron? Now, he doesn't say that in the video. And the lakers were down 20 in the third quarter, but you can see Redick is not thrilled with this. Now, people are coming after LeBron right now for, for last night's game.

[Colin Cowherd]

He didn't play well, was hurt. He woke. Said he woke up and felt stuff. When you get old, stuff breaks.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

He also has, like the NBA record for longest streak of double digigit scoring. And he was down bad in like the third quarter with four points and starts chucking and whatever. I. I don't care about that. This, though, I. I don't think that's a good look, talking to the other bench while your team's calling a place.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I was thinking about this this morning because I saw that it is, that it's very interesting. So LeBron has never clearly been the second best player on a team. Okay, so we said this in the off season last year because of Luka's weight and injuries. It depended on the night who was better. I said, coming into this season, I think you agreed this will be the first time LeBron was not only the second best player on a team, but it's not close. Skinny Luka is the best offensive player in the world. So this is the first time in LeBron's career he's not only the number one player, he is not close to the number one player in a team. That psychology is going to be interesting. That move he's doing is what you do when you're the man.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Bit of a power.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, he's not the man. And there are nights, because Austin Reeves is younger and athletically in his prime, that he's going to come into a game, have the hot hand and be healthy here. So this, this is a very interesting. JJ Redick's a really smart guy. There's a little bit of psychology here. I said LeBron came back the first game, he came back, it's passing, passing only seven shots. And everybody's like, oh, he's such a team player. He is. But what's it going to be like when Austin and Luca on any given night are better and he settles for five shots? Is he going to be okay with that?

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

So I went to that Clippers Lakers game and I watched LeBron closely. I'm just telling you, for the first seven minutes he barely touched the ball. I know he's basically going, you know, and it's like, wait, and now he ended up with good stats, but he's still finding his way. I will say this small thing. Luka and Austin Reaves have developed some kind of bromance. I don't know if you've seen the post game interviews. They're joking. I've got more dunks than you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

And Austin and I don't want to say LeBron's on the outs because he loves Austin Reaves and obviously him and Luke are fine.

[Colin Cowherd]

But.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

There is a but here.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay. The but is there's a new ownership group. They're already firing Bus members. Jeannie Bus, and I love her, she's great at what she did. But there was a little fear dealing with LeBron. Right. It was still. LeBron had sold a lot of tickets. There was loyalty. These guys don't care. This ownership group, the Dodgers, they got rid of Cody Bellinger, Trey Turner, who just won the batting crown. Scott Seeger, Manny Machado, they know the future of this franchise is Luca 1, JJ Redick 2, and probably Austin Reeves 3. Because he's Rob Pelinka's guy. Yeah. LeBron's four in the room now. He is four and I think he knows it. And I think I'm being fair here. I think it's hard for him.

[Jim Harbaugh]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it's easy when you've been a 20 year old Alpha.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

Yeah. Now, Colin, elsewhere in the league, Giannis and the Bucs lost last night. There's some social media activity around Giannis.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

I'm just saying Lakers are 15 and 5. Let's not overreact, but let's just keep an eye on the Lakers and the Bucks. I'm just, just putting that out there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Agree. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the News and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. LeBron's a team player. He's great. I'm just saying if you, you're an attorney at a law firm and you're the number one earner, the number one lawyer for 27 years, suddenly you're number four really quickly. It's hard. You say it's not number one salesperson forever, then you're four. Because these new owners, Luke is the Future. Reddick's number two. Austin's probably three. All right. And LeBron, smart guy, rich Paul agent, he's four. And this ownership group, they have raised the bar in the room. The Athletic did a poll. I know if it was last year where they had a poll, all the GM's anonymous poll who were the best front offices. Lakers didn't get any first place votes. The Dodgers, where there's no salary cap. So there's real animosity for the Dodgers in baseball. They had double the first place votes in that same poll. In the athletic, anonymous GMs and execs and people, there's people that resent the Dodgers having all that money. Nobody resents because the cap's different in the NBA. So I just, I, I've said and my prediction was coming into this year, this will be the first time LeBron is a mile from the best player on a team. Like last year, there were nights Luka was better but Luca wasn't in great shape. He was coming off an injury. There were halves and quarters that LeBron was better. That ain't the case. Luka's a mile better now. And, and Luka is the best offensive player in the league. And also it's very human nature. Luka's no dummy. Luca knows he and J.J. redick are the future. Right? Like he knows he's an alpha. And I think everybody in the room knows Austin Reeves can give you 23 on any given night. He didn't his prime and he's not going to be that expensive. They're going to get Austin Reeves on a team friendly deal. So it's just a different psychology with the Lakers right now. That doesn't mean LeBron's a bad guy. I just think it's hard, you know. And the Luca now can beat people off. The dribble can finish at the rim. He didn't do that last couple years. I mean it was his first year in the league. I think he had 25 dunks and I think last year he like one. So he just, it just, it wasn't. It just. And he was emotionally, he got traded. That was rough for him. International players, they just want to come over, play for one team, star ball, head home in the summer. You know, that's what, that's what they want to do. So it's going to be, it's going to be a very interesting. I am fascinated with ownership groups and front offices in sports because, you know, you don't talk about him. It's the guy, rich guy wearing sunglasses on a Sunday, you know, upstairs in the suite and you know, we know Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones. But these owners for the Dodgers are fairly low profile considering how powerful they are. And they've let all sorts of really good players go. Trey Turner is one of the best pure hitters in baseball and they had a tough decision, let him go. And, and when they, by the way, when they go big, Yoshi Ohtani, Freddie Freeman bets, when they go big, they don't miss. So there, there is something brewing. I, I'm a believer in this, that, you know, Giannis, Giannis could very much be in play. I really believe that. Very much in play. And listen, we all know this. Lebron's, it's a, it's a me league, not a we league. He bailed on Dwyane Wade. A lot of people think he bailed on AD and knew the trade was coming. I don't know that. I kind of think that. We'll see you tomorrow. PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors are made to go the distance with blazing fast performance, next level efficiency and multi day battery life. Snapdragon processors are built to tackle it all, from highlight reel editing to intense player research. So you can be at the top of your game wherever the day takes you. Learn [e-mail] laptops Snapdragon. The heart of your PC. Battery life varies significantly based on device settings, usage and other factors.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Sports Analyst/Co-host]

But first, There the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes. This is an I Heart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed human.