THE HERD - Hour 3 - Christian McCaffrey stops by The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: THE HERD - Hour 3 - Christian McCaffrey stops by The Herd
Date: February 4, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd, iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Herd dives deep into the state of the NFL as Colin Cowherd hosts veteran Steelers captain Cam Heyward and renowned quarterback consultant Jordan Palmer. The themes revolve around NFL coaching lifespans, player development, assessments of current teams and young quarterbacks, and some mid-season NBA trade analysis. The episode maintains Colin's trademark conversational, analytical style with frank comments, stories from behind the scenes, and practical breakdowns for fans looking to understand football’s undercurrents.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Cam Heyward Interview – Leadership, Mike Tomlin, and NFL Coaching Lifespans

[Starts ~02:41]

• The Value of Being a Team Captain

  • Colin highlights the significance of Cam Heyward’s 11-year run as Steelers captain (02:41).
  • Cam jokes about the wear and tear of 15 NFL seasons:

    “It feels like 15 years have passed.” — Cam Heyward (03:14)

• Mike Tomlin’s Impact on Players & Team Culture

  • Cam praises Tomlin's open-door leadership and honesty:

    “Mike is very approachable...He might not agree with you and he might have a different way of seeing it, but he makes himself available to discuss your problems…his honesty to the game…there are no shortcuts in our league and preparing the right one.” — Cam Heyward (03:49)

  • Colin and Cam discuss the notion of coaches needing breathers after long tenures, with Cam recognizing the pressure and lack of patience for coaches in today’s league:

    “I don’t think we provide coaches enough time to actually find out if they’re a good coach or not.” — Cam Heyward (05:03)

  • Cam respects what Tomlin has accomplished, calling him “the cream of the crop” (05:49).

• Breakdown of Seahawks vs. Patriots and Super Bowl Bound Teams

  • Colin and Cam analyze New England and Seattle, both tough, defensively solid, but with shaky offensive lines (05:57).
  • Cam’s take on Seattle post-match:

    “They played through emotions...they can bounce back from situations...their defense is really good...Leonard Williams, Byron Young up front. If they have a good game, usually they're winning.” — Cam Heyward (06:43)

  • On New England's evolution:

    “You watch their team battle back and become just a better unit on both sides of the ball...Drake May is playing on another level.” — Cam Heyward (07:46)

• Steelers’ Offensive Upgrades under Mike McCarthy

  • Colin expresses hope McCarthy helps modernize Pittsburgh’s offense (08:25).
  • Cam anticipates enhanced run game and more versatile weapon use (DK Metcalf):

    “Let’s mix it around. Let’s give him [Metcalf] the ball in space...” — Cam Heyward (09:07)

• Locker Room Culture, Aaron’s Fit in Pittsburgh

  • Cam lauds Aaron’s professionalism, accountability and how the team rallied around him:

    “He’s special...a great guy for the locker room. He’s also a big Nickelback fan. Shout out, Aaron. No, I’m just kidding. He hates Nickelback.” — Cam Heyward (10:15, lighthearted)

• Charity Work & Legacy

  • Cam discusses his role with the American Cancer Society, and his family’s experience with cancer:

    “Cancer is pretty prevalent in my family…being able to spearhead and find other ways where we get other people to donate...save a lot of people’s lives...” — Cam Heyward (17:10)

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2. Colin’s Super Bowl/NFL News Segments

Super Bowl & NFL team rundowns, coaching analysis, and future outlooks. [18:02 – 21:10]

• Mike McDonald’s Coaching DNA

  • McDonald (Seahawks) credits John Harbaugh as a key mentor and influence:

    "All those principles that are part of his program that he's about as a person resonated with me...foundational principles that we brought to Seattle." — Coach Mike McDonald (18:25)

  • Colin analyzes Seattle’s defensive resurgence and sustainable roster construction:

    “They have no real holes...the O-line gets a bad rap; the left side of it's pretty good...you can see the Runway for Seattle and you’re like, oh, this is going to be a topic for two, three years now.” — Colin Cowherd (19:55, 21:10)

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3. NBA Trade Deadline Analysis

[21:27 – 25:29]

• Harden–Garland Swap Rumors

  • Clippers/Cavs discussing James Harden for Darius Garland; Colin calls Harden “not a winning player” despite obvious Hall of Fame talent:

    “James Harden is known for the step back and nightclubs. Am I wrong? ...He’ll make the Hall of Fame, but there’s a lot of guys in the hall that aren’t winning players.” — Colin Cowherd (22:39, 22:53)

• Jaren Jackson Jr. Trade to Utah Jazz

  • Surprise deal sends Jaren Jackson to Utah; Colin believes this could solidify Utah as a playoff team with a young, defensive core:

    “This Jazz team could be a problem. I don’t know about this year...give it a couple years. I like this trade for Utah.” — Colin Cowherd (25:01, 25:28)

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4. Jordan Palmer Interview – QB Development, Young Stars, and NFL Traits

[30:18 – 41:06]

• Sam Darnold’s Early Years & Mentality

  • Palmer recounts first meeting Darnold as a “redheaded, freckled, kind of had buck teeth” 14-year-old and details his rise through adversity at USC:

    “He rattled off eight or nine straight [in college]...Rose Bowl MVP, beat Penn State on fourth down...channel the frustration of not being named the starter but being ready, I think really laid the groundwork for a lot of these difficult situations that he's been in.” — Jordan Palmer (31:04)

• QB Training and Precision Adjustments

  • Palmer outlines his approach to year-round, individualized QB coaching, including mechanical tweaks that improved Darnold’s accuracy:

    “The largest grouping of misses...was outbreaking routes to the right...we addressed the mechanical issue...what he was doing from an alignment perspective....Since then, he has not missed one to his right behind a guy.” — Jordan Palmer (33:04)

• Drake Maye’s Comparison: Poise, Development, and Potential

  • Jordan sees Drake Maye as a “country cool” personality, likening his progression to Josh Allen’s:

    “Personality-wise, he’s a combination of like Philip Rivers, just good old boy, country cool...But physically, he’s this new era of quarterback....I see a lot of similarities, and Drake is kind of one of those guys who’s been ready for the moment.” — Jordan Palmer (35:42)

• Fernando Mendoza as a Franchise Prospect

  • Palmer praises Mendoza’s poise, humility, and clutch play:

    “I think he’s a franchise guy...the percentage of times that he made the clutch play when it was needed is really, really high....this guy is so pure. He is just so who he is and so comfortable in who he is.” — Jordan Palmer (38:48)

• Colin on Young QB Mentality

  • Colin reflects on the importance of a stable sense of self in young quarterbacks:

    “By and large, the great ones, 12, 13 years old, 14 years old, you can see it. You can see it at a camp. You can see it somewhere around other kids.” — Colin Cowherd (41:08)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Mike Tomlin's Legacy:

  "Every year you’re always going to wonder, is Mike Tomlin coming out of retirement? Because he was just that good of a coach." — Cam Heyward (05:57)

• On NFL Roster Building:

  “It’s not just that Sam [Darnold] was good this year. You can see the Runway for Seattle and you’re like, oh, this is going to be a topic for two, three years now.” — Colin Cowherd (21:10)

• On James Harden's Career:

  “James Harden is known for the step back and nightclubs. Am I wrong? Cold blooded. Am I wrong?” — Colin Cowherd (22:53)

• On Young Quarterbacks' Authenticity:

  “A lot of these guys are chameleons and they try and fit into the situation that they're in. And I never see that work.” — Jordan Palmer (39:51)

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Segment Timestamps Guide

• Cam Heyward Interview: 02:41 – 17:49
• Super Bowl/NFL News & NFL analysis: 18:02 – 21:10
• NBA Trade Deadline Analysis: 21:27 – 25:29
• Jordan Palmer Quarterback Interview: 30:18 – 41:06

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains Colin’s conversational, sharp, and honest approach—blending behind-the-scenes anecdotes, tactical breakdowns, seasoned analysis, and humor. Cam Heyward and Jordan Palmer contribute candid, heartfelt, and insightful commentary, painting a thorough picture of NFL life—on the field, in the locker room, and off-season preparations.

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Takeaways for the Listener

• The importance of character, stability, and authenticity in both coaches and quarterbacks is a recurring theme.
• Coaching lifespans in the NFL may be too short, with long-term vision sometimes taking a back seat to impatience.
• Mechanical precision and year-round coaching can transform QB play at the highest levels.
• Both NFL and NBA team building require not just talent but the right culture and leadership—as demonstrated in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Utah, and beyond.

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Perfect for listeners eager to look past the surface of NFL headlines into the “why” behind a successful team, the journey of a franchise quarterback, and the latest NBA machinations—all served up in The Herd’s signature style.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[E]

Now let's get this party started.

[B]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[D]

One of the things I always look at with a veteran NFL player, has he ever been a team captain? That tells you a lot about the guy. Cam Hayward has been a team captain for the Steelers for 11 years. He's going to be a first ballot hall of Famer, six time All Pro, 15 years, same team. And he is joining us at the Super Bowl. You know, it's, I asked you off air, I said, 15 years in the league. What do you feel like when you wake up in the morning and tell the audience what your answer was?

[E]

It feels like 15 years have passed.

[D]

You know, you have. Mike Tomlin's interesting because Emmanuel Sanders, I think it was, was on my show couple weeks ago and he said, you can talk about the coach. He goes, mike Tomlin changed me, the guy, like, what to do with my money. When I came into the league, I was, I didn't know anything. And you had a 15 year relationship with Mike. Now it's not all good. I mean, it can't be. There's got to be disagreements. But tell me about Mike, the guy that I don't see.

[E]

Mike is very approachable in voicing like anything to him. He might not agree with you and he might have a different way of seeing it, but he makes himself available to discuss your problems. He's able to, you know, cut past a lot of the crap and say, like, yeah, that's great, but we're going to go in a different direction or this is what we have to do. Forward, have to put the team first. The one thing I loved about Mike was just his honesty to the game, understanding that there are no shortcuts in our league and preparing the right one.

[D]

Yeah, you know, it's interesting. I've seen him on two interviews since he coached the Steelers and he's so happy and funny and I'm like, the NFL has a way of making people, you know, I mean, you watch Belichick when he left New England. I watched him on espn. He's cracking jokes, he's having a good time. There is an argument. And I, and I said this. I can think Mike's a Hall of Famer, but I do think coaches have a lifespan in a, in a room. Is there not an argument? Like, listen, when you spend that much time with one team, maybe it was better for Mike to take a deep breath and some time off. Is that fair?

[E]

Well, it's definitely fair. I think the first part of what you said, he's definitely got the glow of going into an offseason not having the pressure in the weight of having a team to prepare for. But he also gets to, you know, spend some time with his family. I think I was just texting one of this morning. Morning. Talking about his daughter killing it at Georgia in gymnastics. But there, as much as there can't be a long shelf life, I don't think we provide coaches enough time to actually find out if they're a good coach or not. There's a lot of hit or miss. And, you know, after a year or two, it's, hey, we gotta bounce you because we, we really want to try out something new. What Mike has been able to accomplish. I know he only has one super bowl, but it's a lot more than what any other coach can say. And he's the cream of the crop. I think every year you're always going to wonder, is Mike Tomlin coming out of retirement? Because he was just that good of a coach.

[D]

So Seattle, New England, rare position. You guys really beat up Drake May. You had multiple sacks. He really struggled. Probably his worst game. Seattle came out in the second half and took it to you. So there's a lot of similarities between the two. I think the weakness of both the Seahawks, Patriots, probably the O line is not great. And I do think both are young, good, mobile quarterbacks, defensive coaches, there's talent all over the field, especially on the defensive side. Let's first talk about Seattle. When you guys played them, it was kind of an eye opening result. We all kind of went, oh, oh, wait a minute, this Darnold thing may work. When that game was over, what was your interpretation of Seattle?

[E]

I thought they played through emotions. You know, they can actually bounce back from situations that were a little bit catastrophic in our game early and then really capitalized on us in the second half. I know we had a big turnover at half in our game, but, you know, they were able to, you know, keep drives alive. Even when I think we had a big play, I think I tipped the ball and then Nick Herbig picked it off. They were able to bounce back from that and, you know, their defense is really good. You got Leonard Williams, you got Byron Young up front, and if they have a good game, usually they're winning the game.

[D]

Now, New England was different. They had a lot of new faces, free agents, five rookies playing. And to be honest with you, it unraveled. It felt like they got a little. I mean, that's what my interpretation watching it was. Cam, you got into their head. You kind of intimidated him. You, you made Drake may play faster than he was comfortable playing. So I imagine you came out of that game and you're. Are you surprised today they're in the Super Bowl?

[E]

I think it's indicative that you talk about how they started and then where they finished. Because when they first got into the league this year, there were a lot of questions about Drake May and you just watch their team battle back and become just a better unit on both sides of the ball. You got Milton Williams and you've got Christian Barmore, who dealt with a lot of injuries last year.

[D]

Ye.

[E]

But then this year just, just a different player. And I think having those two stalwarts on the D line are great, but Drake May is playing on another level. When we played him the first time, our big thing was we got to get turnovers from Drake May and their running backs, and they really stabilized that in having Trayvon as a running back and Drake May throwing the ball downfield.

[D]

Yeah. So Mike McCarthy is the new head coach. I had said on the air. I think he's the offensive Mike Tomlinson and immediately he's already made upgrades to the staff, or at least upgrades in his opinion, to the staff. And I, and I've, and I've criticized Pittsburgh through the years. I've said, listen, the rules now favor offense, that you got to be able to consistently run the ball. That's the reality of this league. And Pittsburgh for seven years has struggled to identify a consistent run game. That's not a criticism, that's data. I do think Mike makes you a little more current offensively. What are your expectations?

[E]

I think you look at what our offense was this year and you say you have a 1, 1, 2 punch in the running game between Kenneth Gainwell and Jayla Warren. They've done a really good job and I thought it was a step up from last year. I look for that office to just keep growing. You look for Jalen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell to have more touches and you look for DK Metcalf to have a lot more in his route tree, a lot more favorable matchups where he's not just stuck on a number one corner. Let's mix it around. Let's give him the ball in space because when he has the ball in space, if you look at that Ireland game where they have the clip of Aaron throwing DK the ball, one of the prettiest balls we ever see, and him taking it 80 yards, that's. That's what you want DK doing.

[D]

Were you. Aaron's an American iconic star. Pittsburgh is a hard working no Nonsense town. He appeared to really enjoy Pittsburgh, like from the outside. I'm like, oh, Aaron Fitz here, fine. I didn't know if he would take me through the year of Aaron in Pittsburgh. And just the camaraderie, the locker room, the trips. How was it for you?

[E]

The camaraderie, the accountability and just the playmaking. He's special and I don't think you get enough. He gets enough credit as a teammate. The way he prepares, the way the group kind of rallies around him. We have a lot more fun with them that I can't talk about on air, but he is a great guy for the locker room. He's also a big Nickelback fan. Shout out. Aaron. No, I'm just kidding. He hates Nickelback. But we. But you know, throughout the year, I thought he was always locked in, giving us the best chance to go forward. And that's what you want from your quarterback.

[A]

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

[C]

Stigatz here. I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugac company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.

[A]

I love you guys show.

[E]

It's one of my favorites.

[C]

A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugatson Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Steugatsen Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, subscribe, rate and review Stugots Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[D]

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[A]

Seems like just yesterday that the Two Guys five Rings podcast was in Paris for the Olympics. And now we're heading to Milan for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. I'm Bowen Yang.

[D]

And I'm Matt Rogers. And we'll join athletes from 93 countries as Two Guys Five Rings hits the Italian Alps for the 2026 Milan Quarter Fortina Olympic Winter Games.

[A]

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Did we mention it's free? Search Two Guys Five Rings and listen now.

[C]

Stugatz here. I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow, and I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugac company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.

[A]

I love you guys show.

[E]

It's one of my favorites.

[C]

A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you can expect from Stugatson Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stegotson Co. Live and and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stugots Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[A]

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, host of the On Purpose podcast. On a recent episode, I sat down with Nick Jonas and singer, songwriter, actor, and global superstar.

[D]

The thing I would say to my younger self is, congratulations. You get to marry Priyanka Chopra Jonas. And also, you know, your daughter is incredible.

[A]

That's beautiful, man.

[D]

Yeah, thank you.

[A]

It's so beautiful. I can see that got you a little. Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Our daughter, she came to the world under sort of very intense circumstances, which.

[D]

I've not really talked about ever.

[A]

Growing up on Disney in front of millions, how did that shape your sense of self?

[D]

I went blank. I hit a bad note.

[B]

Then I couldn't kind of recover, and.

[D]

I built up this idea that music and being a musician was my whole identity. I had to sort of relearn who I was. If you took this thing away, who.

[A]

Am I listen to on purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real?

[B]

If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

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Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?

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When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.

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Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

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I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.

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It's about engineering consciousness.

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[D]

You could call it a career, and you're a hall of Famer. What drives you at this point.

[E]

One, I think, is trying to win a Super bowl, having the opportunity to compete. You know, that's why you play this game. Two, I think it's just installing my legacy further. I feel like I still have more work to do on the field, off the field, and then, you know, continue to teach the younger guys, continue to learn from them, and continue to just keep growing.

[D]

You are working with the American Cancer Society. You've always been a charitable guy. Tell me about it.

[E]

Yeah, I had a chance to, you know, come on and be a. A co captain again with the American Cancer Society. You know, cancer is pretty prevalent in my family, with my dad suffering from a brain tumor. And I've just been very close because I've had grandparents or, you know, aunts and uncles that have done with breast cancer as well. And so being able to spearhead and, you know, find other ways where we get other people to donate and, you know, find a good charge to be able to save a lot of people's lives and help a lot of people along the way.

[D]

Cam, you're a credit to the game, and I appreciate you stopping by the herd.

[E]

Thank you for having me you bet.

[D]

A great, great player. I mean, when you're, when you're a captain 11 times in your career, that really speaks volumes of you as a guy. J. Mack with the news.

[E]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[A]

This is the Herd line news. All right, let's continue super bowl coverage. Talking about Mike McDonald served under John Harbaugh in Baltimore. And McDonald talked about how Harbaugh had an impact on him as a head coach.

[B]

I don't think it's possible to overstate his influence.

[D]

Influence on me. I love John Harbaugh.

[B]

He's a, he's my, one of my biggest mentors. All those principles that are part of.

[D]

His program that he's about as a person resonated with me and those are.

[B]

A lot of the foundational principles that.

[D]

We, that we brought to Seattle.

[B]

And he's also, he's a great friend.

[D]

He'S got great family. So I can't tell you how much I love him. Boy, McDonald has been a hit, hasn't he? Yeah, I mean he took that defense from Pete, moved it up about 10 spots and then he moved it up to number one or two in the league. And when you get a really good defensive coach, like obviously Mike McDaniel goes to Miami and they got all sorts of motion in different sets, you can see it like defensively it's harder to see, oh, that, that, that coach has principles. But when you watch how hard Seattle plays, that's the first thing I look at. They play hard. The second thing is they don't give up cheap touchdowns. That was always the great strength of Belichick. To score on New England, you had to drive the ball. They didn't give up freebies. They didn't miss assignments. Seattle doesn't miss a lot of assignments.

[A]

Excellent team. He's had a great two year run. Look on the screen there. 24 wins over the last two seasons, only behind McDermott and Sirianni. Like that's, that's pretty impressive for McDonald. I am curious. It's tough to ask this, Colin, do you think there's a lot of wiggle room here for them to keep going and improve and be at 12 to 13, 14 with team member, they lose their OC Kubiak. He's going to go coach.

[D]

No, I think where they're at, you know, plateau gets kind of a bad rep. I think Seattle is going to be a double digit win team. If John Snyder, Mike McDonald and Sam Darnold are together, I think they're a double. But you and I know San Francisco and the Rams are a handful. So Darnold gets banged up and misses a month. So a lot of it comes down to is the quarterback, Charles Cross, the left tackle, Gray Zabel. The left side of the offensive line held. So they are really deep. They have no real holes. Their O line gets a bad rap. The left side of it's pretty good to me. So I don't know, I look at them. That's the thing. I feel like with Minnesota firing their gm, it's not just that Sam was good this year. You can see the Runway for Seattle and you're like, oh, this is going to be a topic for two, three years now. We don't know beyond that. But Darnold's got two more years left on his deal and the cap hit remains incredibly Seahawk friendly, so. And John Snyder again now. But what's interesting, Jason, now you're drafting at the end of rounds. That's a hard go ask Kansas City and Buffalo. It gets real lean.

[A]

A year ago, though, we were saying Eagles. Oh, my gosh, best roster in the league. They won with defense.

[D]

We didn't like their coach, though.

[A]

Well, that's the thing. We'll see what who they replace Kubiak with offensively after the Super Bowl. That'll be interesting because Darnold has had a pretty damn good year.

[D]

And that's a good job now. Yes, that's a really good job.

[A]

All right, let's move to the NBA. Colin. Trade deadline is Thursday at 3 o'.

[E]

Clock.

[A]

How about this? Reports indicate that the Clippers and Cavaliers are working toward a deal centering around James Harden and Darius Garland. Now, I wish you could channel the energy you had when I asked you about James Harden off air.

[D]

I'd love to see him go to Cleveland.

[A]

Yeah, so he's 36 years old. Garland is only 26. It. On the surface, it feels like a weird swap. Cleveland clearly is in the luxury tax and they're not like a top three team in the east, so they don't really want to pay it. So I think they're looking to lessen the tax burden. But let's be real. James Harden is a Hall of Famer.

[D]

One of the great scorers, not a winning player. Everybody kept getting. I mean, Daryl Morey just kept giving him guys and different coaches and different teammates.

[A]

Superstar warriors with Durant and Curry, they're not.

[D]

They gave him Westbrook in Houston, they give him Chris Paul and they gave him. I mean, this guy got more great teammates and solid coaches and everybody else is to blame.

[A]

So what do you say? You're not. Not a hardened.

[E]

No.

[D]

I mean he'll make the hall of Fame, but there's a lot of guys in the hall that aren't winning.

[A]

Players led the league in scoring.

[D]

How about what did he do in the defensive end?

[A]

He was basically Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan got Phil Collins. Not Phil Collins.

[D]

No, he wasn't Phil Jackson. Michael Jordan was about winning. Michael Jordan was not early.

[A]

Not early.

[D]

Well, he was a great defensive player.

[A]

He was. Harden does not play much defense.

[D]

James Harden is known for the step back and nightclubs. Am I wrong? Cold blooded. Am I wrong?

[A]

You're not wrong. Final story con. How about this? This just happened within the last 30 minutes. Big trade in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies who have been trying to move John Moran instead move Jaren Jackson, their other best player in a massive trade. He goes to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz, I guess with Dwyane Wade and company are ready to finally try to compete. The Jazz now have Jaren Jackson. They've got Lori Markkanen, who I thought they would be trying to move, Keonte, Georgia promising young player and Walker Kessler.

[D]

No, no.

[A]

They're going to be a good defensive team. They're going to be huge on the front line.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

The problem, and this is what's so tough, the west is loaded. So even with this Utah changes, are they a top six team in the West?

[D]

Well, I, I, I don't know. I'm hearing this for the first time. But Jaren Jackson's a good player. He's very good, very good player. So now Utah's four very good players.

[A]

Right.

[D]

That feels like a playoff team.

[A]

Yeah. Lakers are gonna have to do something because I think the Lakers are not doing anything.

[D]

Utah is better.

[A]

They have more better players than the Lakers right now.

[C]

They do, yeah.

[A]

Not high end like Luka's better than everybody.

[D]

And their best players occasionally like to defend too.

[A]

So this, this JAD team could be a problem. I don't know about this year. Memphis got three first round picks and players including Walls.

[D]

Yeah. But that's because Utah doesn't need those picks now. Right.

[A]

And these picks are going to be.

[D]

Utah's got four really good players. Yeah.

[A]

NBA's getting it. And this is what I love. Everybody says, oh well these trades that they're talking about, Giannis and these certain teams, it never works like this. This trade by the way, was not speculated. Nobody had the Utah Jazz being buyers of Jared Jackson. So all remember Damian Lillard when he was getting traded? Oh, it's the Miami Heat, maybe Toronto. Nobody had him going to the Bucks. Giannis is going to a team that nobody's talking about.

[D]

Now Utah. Utah's not. Now, first of all, Utah's a not a very good defensive team, as I make fun of The Lakers.

[A]

They're not, but they will be with Jackson and, and Kessler on the back line.

[D]

Yeah, they're. They're not a factor now, but they're also young, so this gives them.

[A]

Yeah, I, I like how many years.

[D]

Jaren Jackson been in the league?

[A]

He's like 27, 26, 27 years old. Yeah, he's young.

[D]

They've got four guys that you, you know, Laurie Markkanen is always talked about being traded, but he gives you strong player, man. Dude, he gives you like 20. What does he average? 23 a night? 24, nine?

[A]

Yeah, something like that. And also, by the way, they have young Ace Bailey, who's coming up.

[D]

Oh, he is.

[A]

He's got potential.

[D]

Oh, no, he's got talent.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Give it a couple years. I like this trade for Utah. We'll see what's going on in Memphis.

[D]

Interesting. J. Mac of the News.

[A]

Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie news.

[D]

Sam Darnold, the Early years. Next.

[A]

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

[D]

All right, two truths in a lie. Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. A Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal. On the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T mobile bill to your local Verizon store today. Get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance, U.S. 2nd HALF 2025. All rights reserve Must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.

[A]

Seems like just yesterday that the Two Guys Five Rings podcast was in Paris for the Olympics. And now we're heading to Milan for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. I'm Bowen Yang.

[D]

And I'm Matt Rogers. And we'll join athletes from 93 countries as two guys five rings hits the Italian Alps for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

[A]

Open your free I Heard radio app. Did we mention it's free? Search two guys five rings and listen now.

[C]

Stugatz here. I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to Ivar. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugats Co. Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.

[A]

I love you guys show.

[E]

It's one of my favorites.

[C]

A lot of interaction. Guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugouts Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stugats Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stug Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[A]

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, host of the On Purpose podcast. On a recent episode, I sat down with Nick Jonas, singer, songwriter, actor, and global superstar.

[D]

The thing I would say to my younger self is, congratulations, you get to marry Priyanka Chopra Jonas. And also, you know, your daughter's incredible.

[A]

That's beautiful, man.

[D]

Yeah, thank you.

[A]

That's so beautiful. I can see that got you a little. Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Our daughter, she came to the world under sort of very intense circumstances, which.

[D]

I've not really talked about ever.

[A]

Growing up on Disney in front of millions, how did that shape your sense of self?

[D]

I went blank. I hit a bad note. Then I couldn't recover, and I built.

[B]

Up this idea that music and being.

[D]

A musician was my whole identity. I had to sort of relearn who I was.

[B]

If you took this thing away, who am I?

[A]

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What if mind control is real?

[B]

If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

[A]

Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car?

[B]

When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings.

[A]

Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

[B]

I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused.

[A]

Can you get someone to join your Cult NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Nlp, AKA Neuro Linguistic programming, is a blend of hippie hypnosis, linguistics and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.

[B]

It's about engineering consciousness.

[A]

Mind Games is the story of nlp, its crazy cast of disciples and the fake doctor who invented it at a new age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all, NLP might actually work. This is wild. Listen to mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[D]

Well, he's the founder of Quarterback Summit, a program that helps quarterbacks reach their potential. Played in the NFL for six years. The Bengals, the Jags, the Bears, the Titans and, and love Chicago as much as I do now. His name is Jordan Palmer, quarterback consultant. And joining us also founded Thread Performance nutrition company that helps young athletes. So you've worked with Darnold since like high school. And I remember at usc, I think it was Sark, if I recall, he was a freshman. And Sark said to me, he goes, this kid from Oceanside, he goes, he's really good. He's got to clean up some stuff. So go back to the very early Sam Darnold days. What was obvious, what needed work back then?

[B]

Well, I mean, I met him when he was 14 and honestly, he was a redheaded, freckled, he kind of had buck teeth. And I was throwing with my old high school coach. I was playing at the time and I was joke, but the high school coach I was throwing with coached Carson and I when we were little. So I was joking around, I'm like, hey, that little redhead kid looks dead on. Carson Palmer when he was that age. And we were laughing about it, fast forward two years and he's in the Elite 11. And that was when I was like, oh, that kid ended up being good. But really he redshirted his first year at SC and his, his second year's redshirt freshman year. He was in a quarterback competition with Max Brown, who does a great job with media right now, is a great dude. And Max was a grad senior. He could transfer if he didn't win the job. It was Clay Hilton was the head coach at the time and honestly, Sam outperformed him. But they opened up week one at Jerry's World versus Bama. So if they would have started Sam week one, Max would have transferred and they would have had a registered freshman starter. I think they had a True freshman backup and a walk on behind him. So Sam didn't win the job. And I remember him calling me right after he got the news and being really upset and talking about, I remember that conversation about this is a rep and this is your first time having to stay ready. When you red shirt, you don't have to stay ready. And they struggle. I think they went on three and when they pulled the trigger on Sam, you know, he rattled off eight or nine straight Rose bowl mvp, beat Penn State on fourth down and kind of became Sam Darnold. The suck for Sam campaign started on the Internet and watching him handle that and grow through that and channel the frustration of not being named the starter but being ready, I think really laid the groundwork for a lot of these difficult situations that he's been in the last decade and how well he's handled.

[D]

Them when a guy. Now Sam has had back to back MVP level years. If Sam called you Jordan and said, hey, hey, can I, can I come down for a couple days? What do you work on once a player's at a high level?

[B]

Yeah, that's a great question. I mean it's different. Sam is Sam Burrow and a lot of college guys are in this program. I operate in the space differently than anybody else and that everybody's on retainer for the year. So with Sam and all my clients, it's broken into quarterly. Phase one is whenever you start until spring. Phase two is spring ball or OTAs if you're in the NFL. Phase three is your best opportunity for growth. That's coming out of spring or OTAS and going into summer. And then phase four is the season. So in my office I've got a golf simulator that's essentially a content studio. And we break down practice and games and curate things on a weekly basis. So I, for the last whatever, 20 weeks or how many games he's played this year, we're pulling things from games and sometimes mirroring and dropping it into his folder. So he likes to, I think Tuesday nights watch these and essentially kind of you almost outsource your mechanics, which is becoming more normal. And so we're curating things that started on a basketball court in February. We typically go four to six weeks with him with no football. And for five years he's been learning a new offense, which means new footwork. So we curate that in phase one. We see what sticks in phase two, which is OTAs address things that didn't stick. Build the off season programming for phase three and then in season it's about Maintaining it and every now and then introducing a new idea. And so an example of this was last year in Minnesota. He's five and oh, on bye week and he's sitting on my couch right here. And we ran the numbers and determined that the largest grouping of Mrs. That he had was outbreaking routes to the right. And it was 24.6% I believe. And so we addressed the mechanical issue. What he was doing mechanically and what he was doing from an alignment perspective that was causing those misses. 100% of those misses were a little bit behind the guy. Zero of them were out in front. So we gave him things to do around his house. A golf club between his arms, moving, seeing that golf club come into your peripheral vision, turned into tape on the left shoulder pad, building that peripheral vision. And it was all around front side alignment, drawing that shoulder closed. Since then he has not missed one to his right behind a guy we're able to kind of press delete on the future 24.6% of your misses in a contract year on a Super bowl run.

[D]

So Drake May, more of an east coast guy. You didn't have the west coast connection to him initially when you. I feel like, not that he's a work in progress, I think he's a better quarterback than he was in September, but like when you see him just tv, what jumps out to you that you like about Drake May?

[B]

Well, I mean, I like everything about Drake May. I remember Josh McCown, I backed him up in Chicago, who was done playing, figuring out his next move and was telling me about this high school kid because he volunteer coached in high school and he coached Drake May's team. And then I saw Drake May at the elite 11. So I'd been hearing about him, but I like everything and I know that's a bad answer. Personality wise, he's a combination of like Philip Rivers, just good old boy country cool. What you see is what you get. But he's also really funny. Nothing will change about him and his personality as he makes more money and has more success. He's one of those guys like Sam that just not going to be any different than he always was. And it's well documented, his older brothers holding him accountable and keeping him humble. But physically he. He's this new era of quarterback. I know there's been a lot of Josh Allen comparisons and I'm not comparing them, they have different resumes. But what he did in his second year, Josh did in his third, you know, that jump Josh, it was that third year and I think There's a couple of the same ingredients. One, just to say the name of the person, Stefan Diggs, I think a guy that can create separation, that has some savviness to him and is a veteran. That was the same in Josh's year three. It was the same in Drake's year two. A coordinator who knows what the quarterback struggles with. So they don't call that a whole lot. They don't ask him to do that a whole lot. With young guys, a lot of times that's just fulfilled progressions and then knowing what the strong suit is, which is concepts where, hey, if you get to number three and they're not there already be leaving the pocket and scheming guys open. Another thing is Dawson Knox was really good before Dalton Kincaid got there. For Josh Allen, having a tight end who's always going to be in the right spot at the right time and is rangy and they have that in Hunter Henry.

[D]

Yep.

[B]

And. And a run game to compliment. And then the coordinator, you know, Brian Diebel for Josh in year three, Josh McDaniels, year two here. So I think there's a lot of commonalities and both. The last thing I'd say is, you know, because of. It's a defensive head coach in both of those situations, we're not asking you to be the team leader as a young guy. Just. Just be the quarterback. Just focus on that. You don't need to be the vocal leader on the team. You can grow into that. So I see a lot of the similarities and. And Drake is kind of one of those guys who's been ready for the moment. And I thought this was always a win, not an if. With Drake. May.

[D]

I want to end it with this. It's important. Fernando Mendoza, I don't know what his comp is, but there was something about his. His gratitude and his humility. He's obviously a plus size. He. I watched him at Penn State, Miami game, Iowa game. In big moments, he really leaned in, you know, he wasn't overwhelmed. In big moments, pressure, big throws. What. What I'm interested in your evaluation. You probably haven't gone a mile deep yet, but what. When you look at Fernando Menoza, do you see another quarterback or do you just see a talented kid?

[B]

No, I think he's a franchise guy. I think he's got a lot of success early, too. I'm not comparing these guys because somebody might hear this and go like, oh, you know, whatever they think. But really, Alex Smith, I don't know what. Alex Smith's 40 time was. But I know he could run and he would take advantage of whatever was there in front of him. High processor, those things. So I don't like comp. So that's not a comp. But it's in terms of the mobility, I think it is. And you know, Alex Smith was the number one pick in the draft. But I think, you know, I've been around for Fernando a lot and really the early days of Cal and a lot of times he had to run around and, and make plays for that offense to be able to win. And he had a couple of big wins. I remember specifically almost beating Florida State and he had like some bad calls, I think, and maybe a drop, but he made. They lost the game at Florida State, Cal at Florida State. He lost that game, but made like four or five plays at the end where like he made the play. Something else happened. But I could see a lot of this at Cal with him. And then this is just right place, right time. One of the better stories ever in college football. But I don't, I don't know what his numbers are and all that, but the percentage of times that he made the clutch play when it was needed is really, really high. And then just if you, if you look at his interviews, you know, the Internet in the comment section has a lot of different opinions on it. But like I've told him, like I told his dad and the thing that cannot change about him is this guy is so pure. He is just so who he is and so comfortable in who he is. And we've talked on and off camera about this over the years, Colin. I mean, a lot of these guys are chameleons and they try and fit into the situation that they're in. And I never see that work. I think this guy is perfect for what they're trying to do in Vegas and whatever role Brady plays in that. This is the perfect kind of quarterback to have kind of under the. The watchful eye of Tom Brady, the.

[D]

Founder of Quarterback Summit. He also the founder of Thread Performance and nutrition company that exists to help young athletes fulfill their physical and mental potential both on and off the field. Gives us insight. Sam Darnold, I think you said red hair, buck teeth. It worked out well for Sam Darnold. Jordan, as always, great seeing you.

[B]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[D]

You bet. Yeah. That's interesting about the chameleon part. There is, you know, you notice this, that Jordan went back early days. Mendoza, early days, Drake May, early days Sam Darnold. That Jordan sees these guys and hears about them when they're 13, 14 years old. And I mean, I think that's, that's, I mean like his parents, you know, you're there to support your kid, but by and large, the great ones, 12, 13 years old, 14 years old, you can see it. You can see it at a camp. You can see it somewhere around other kids.

[A]

That's early, man. 13, 14.

[D]

Well, that's when he saw Sam Darnold.

[A]

And go, you know, you don't expect them to continue on that track. A lot of the young prodigies go sideways as we've seen throughout the years. Basketball.

[D]

Well, I don't think Darnold was a prodigy or Drake May, but Josh McCown's like, I got this 16 year old kid before any of us had heard about it. He's like this, this sophomore in high school. Keep your eye on this kid. Yeah, and you're right, a lot of them, most of them don't work. Yeah, five star kid.

[A]

It's tough to handle that, man. You know the pressure.

[D]

Joel Lombardi could.

[A]

Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today.

[D]

And we'll give you a better deal.

[A]

So bring us your bill. Walk in, run in, pogo sticking, teleport if you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or fly in on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on Routemetric's best overall mobile network performance. US second half 2025. All rights reserved. Must provide very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Seems like just yesterday that the two Guys five Rings podcast was in Paris for the Olympics. And now we're heading to Milan for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. I'm Bowen Yang.

[D]

And I'm Matt Rogers. And Will joined athletes from 93 countries as Two Guys Five Rings hits the Italian Alps for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

[A]

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Did we mention it's free? Search Two Guys Five Rings and listen now.

[C]

Stugatz here. I have a podcast empire that I have brought here to iHeart. And I'm also hosting a daily live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern called Stegats and Company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day you can expect a lot of laughter, great guests, a ton of calls and a lot of fun. Listen to Stugats Co. Live and our original podcast Stew Gottson Co. And God bless Football. And you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[B]

Black History lives in our stories, our culture and the conversations we still having today. I didn't know this Black History Month, the podcast I didn't know maybe you didn't either digs into the moments, perspectives and experiences that don't always make the textbook. Let me tell you about Garrett Morgan Bruh had to pretend he didn't even exist just to sell his own invention. Listen to I didn't know maybe you didn't either from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or simply wherever you get your podcast.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.